The National Associaation of Theater Owners' Cinema Buying Group has made a deal with RealD to install 3-D capability onto the group's digital projectors, which haven't been bought yet, per VARIETY.
CGB has tapped AccessIT to provide digital projectors for its theaters -- more than 8,000 screens -- but the deal is not yet final. A strong interest in 3-D films, coupled with the expansive 3-D film slate coming in 2009 has made the conversion finally go forward.
CBG's pact with RealD is technically non-exclusive, but member theaters stand to catch a break. Once a certain number of CBG screens have RealD installed, RealD will waive some of its fees. Terms of the deal include RealD's royalty on 3-D ticket sales.
RealD systems are in place on the majority of digital 3-D screens in the U.S. It is the only major 3-D vendor to require ongoing fees from theaters.
Work will begin immediately to add 3-D onto about 100 digital projectors in CBC theaters. RealD's president Michael Lewis told VARIETY that they expect to install add-ons for as many as 1,000 screens over the next two years.
Lewis estimates there will be about 2,500 RealD screens ready for the 2009 3-D tentpoles, which include DreamWorks Animation's MONSTERS VS. ALIENS, G-FORCE from Disney and Jerry Bruckheimer, ICE AGE 3 from Fox, Pixar's UP and Fox's AVATAR.
"We've kind of been on the one-yard-line with 3-D," Lewis said. "The mood has changed significantly. By November and December we will be installing on top of digital projectors in a very big way."
