Walt Disney Pictures' new animated feature, MEET THE ROBINSONS, grossed an impressive $7.1 million on just 581 3-D screens to become the largest digital 3-D opening in history for the weekend ended April 1, 2007.
Engagements of the film in Disney Digital 3-D represented 28% of the film's overall three-day gross of $25.1 million on just 13% of the screens. Adding to the achievement, the film's 3-D engagements grossed 2.6 times more than traditional or non 3-D engagements. This is even more impressive considering that the size of the average 3-D theater is 243 seats, according to Buena Vista Pictures. MEET THE ROBINSONS represented the widest opening ever for a digital 3-D release, and played in six times the number of theaters as Disney's CHICKEN LITTLE in 2005. It is anticipated that there will be 1,200 screens available to play digital 3-D by the end of this year.
"The fantastic success of MEET THE ROBINSONS this weekend and especially in its 3-D engagements is a clear signal that 3-D is bigger and better than ever," boasted Chuck Viane, president of Disney's Buena Vista Pictures Domestic Distribution. "This weekend's historic achievement represents a great collaboration with the exhibition community. It's also been a pleasure working with the 3-D experts at Real D during this time of growth and innovation. Disney has been a pioneer in digital 3-D projection starting with CHICKEN LITTLE and Tim Burton's NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS. We're thrilled to see audiences captivated by this exciting new technology, and turning out in record numbers for digital 3-D engagements. The industry continues to make history with each new digital 3-D release, and Disney plans to remain a leader in this exciting and satisfying new frontier."
Mark Zoradi, president of the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, added, "...This is a testament to the film's funny and emotional story, its engaging characters, and the excitement of seeing it in all of its 3-D splendor. Exit polls show that digital 3-D clearly adds another dimension of enjoyment to the experience, and lets moviegoers feel more connected than ever. We're proud of this latest artistic and technical achievement, and feel that it represents another milestone for Disney's incredible Animation studio. We also are excited about many other ambitious projects that will take full advantage of advancing the digital 3-D technology."
Greg Dunn, president & coo of Regal Entertainment Group, said, "The strong 3-D showing for MEET THE ROBINSONS this past weekend only reinforced Regal Entertainment Group's view that 3-D, once and for all, is here to stay and will only continue to gain in popularity with our customers."
Tom Stephenson, president/ceo of Rave Motion Pictures, added, "The opening weekend results for MEET THE ROBINSONS in 3-D was nothing short of fantastic. We're looking forward to expanding the 3-D technology in our chain."
In Feb. 2007, Disney announced a partnership with filmmaker Robert Zemeckis (BEOWULF) and his partners, to create a whole new generation of performance capture 3-D animated films at the studio.
Bill Desowitz, former editor of VFXWorld, is currently the Crafts Editor of IndieWire.
