FINAL DESTINATION 5 Sees A Stellar 75% Of Revenue From 3D *AND* Stereo Box Office More Than Doubles Last Year

Love seeing the naysayers cringe when they read reports like this, but clearly the people are speaking. 3D has been embraced the world around and it's getting better every year!

Even though FINAL DESTINATION may be showing signs of franchise fatigue (I really enjoyed the movie a great deal - wonderful 3D! Go see it!!), 3D clearly helped the movie as it still drew in $18.4 million and it held a staggering 75% of the gross from 3D screenings! (Source: BoxOfficeMojo) That brings us back to AVATAR-like percentages. Love it!

Moreover, a recent ScreenDigest study cited that Global 3D box office continued to grow and in fact doubled last year with a $6.1 billion take as compared to a $2.5 billion influx in 2009. That $6b reflects a 19.3% share of all box office revenue (only 8.6% share in 2009).

From Film Journal:
In terms of regional distribution, cinema analyst Charlotte Jones noted the largest share in Europe (24%) in comparison to North America (20.5%). 3D accounted for more than one-quarter of total box-office revenues in six territories, including Poland, Russia (33.1% share) and the Czech Republic. Following Japan’s largest individual gross ($471 million), the United Kingdom was the strongest 3D theatrical market in Western Europe ($427 mil. and 27.5% share). Of the countries profiled by IHS Screen Digest, Norway reported the lowest 3D box-office ratio (15.8%), followed by Turkey (15.9%). Norway also recorded the highest average 3D ticket price, but “this was relative to its blended ticket price.”

In July 2011, after a yearlong rollout, Norway became the first country in the world to have been fully digitized. “It has been a challenge due to [its] elongated shape with sparsely populated areas, but the process took one year less than anticipated,” and “VPF [virtual print fee] income is a bit higher than predicted,” with payments ending in 2017. Cinema association Film & Kino further noted that all 420 screens are equipped with mainly Christie projectors and Doremi servers, but 65 Sony 4Ks have also been installed and about 80% of the cinema locations are 3D-capable. Whereas the western region exclusively installed some 50 Dolby 3D units, the rest of the country deployed another 35 from Dolby along with XpanD (35), RealD (66) and MasterImage (31).

The 3D revolution is only just beginning with huge conversions on the way (THE AVENGERS, STAR WARS franchise and TITANIC) and of course THE HOBBIT movies and AVATAR 2 and 3 in production and development! Can't wait to see what 2012 brings us...

MUST WATCH: New FINAL DESTINATION 5 Trailer!

Hey guys - feast your eyes on glimpses of the opening death scene! Effects look CRAZY! And all of that in 3D - can't wait. The symmetry of the bridge in stereo is going to look amazing.

I must admit I have seen more inventive payback death scenes though - perhaps they are holding the good stuff for the movie which is a good move. What we see in this first trailer is more like fingernails on a chalkboard. Makes you very skiddish, but not all that inventive. So far...

Here's the synopsis:
No matter where you run, no matter where you hide... you can't cheat death. Death is just as omnipresent as ever, and is unleashed after one man's premonition saves a group of coworkers from a terrifying suspension bridge collapse. But this group of unsuspecting souls was never supposed to survive, and, in a terrifying race against time, the ill-fated group frantically tries to discover a way to escape Death's sinister agenda.

So have a look:



Movie Details:
Director: Steven Quale
Writer: Eric Heisserer
Studio: Warner Bros Pictures
Cast: Emma Bell, Nicholas D'Agosto, Miles Fisher
Release: August 12, 2011

More when I get it!!

See: Three FINAL DESTINATION 5 Posters

Well the first three FINAL DESTINATION 5 posters have dropped and they are pretty much standard fare for the franchise - what can I say? The ominous skull is present in all of course and the prerequisite teens in peril / cowering! Looks to be somewhat higher stakes though regarding special effects as a lengthy suspension bridge will take massive damage this time around for the opening death scene.

Click the images to enlarge. Check out the higher resolution version over at IMP Awards (via Collider).

You all know the premise - Death comes after a group of teens that "mistakenly" avoid death in some horrific accident only to be reassigned a future death in the order in which they should have perished. And most of those deaths are quite inventive indeed.

FINAL DESTINATION 5 is special though. It is being shot with the Cameron - Pace Group's Fusion 3D Cameras, the same ones that Michael Bay used to shoot TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON. So it's in native 3D, just like it's immediate predecessor.

Here is the official description and synopsis from last fall:
Production is underway on New Line Cinema’s fifth installment of the “Final Destination” franchise, which began back in 2000, with the original film quickly becoming a cult hit. The new victims of Death’s plan are part of a cast led by Emma Bell (Frozen, TV’s “The Walking Dead”) and Nick D’Agosto (Fired Up!, TV’s “Heroes”). The film is being shot on location in Vancouver, Canada.

The second of the “Final Destination” films to be shot in 3-D, Final Destination 5 is being directed by Steve Quale, marking his major feature film directorial debut. Producer Craig Perry (”American Pie”) returns for the fifth time, working with executive producers Sheila Hanahan Taylor, Erik Holmberg, Richard Brener, Walter Hamada and David Neustadter. The screenplay was written by Eric Heisserer, with revisions by Gary Dauberman; Heisserer is no stranger to the horror genre, having penned New Line’s recent hit A Nightmare on Elm Street.

Final Destination 5 brings together an ensemble cast that includes Bell and D’Agosto, along with Miles Fisher (TV’s “Mad Men” and “Gossip Girl”), Arlen Escarpeta (Friday the 13th), Jacqueline MacInnes Wood (TV’s “The Bold and the Beautiful”), P.J. Byrne (Dinner for Schmucks) and Ellen Wroe (TV’s “Huge”). Rounding out the rest of the cast are Courtney B. Vance (TV’s “FlashForward,” “ER”), David Koechner (”The Office,” Anchorman) and “Final Destination” franchise icon Tony Todd (Hatchet II).

In this fifth installment, Death is just as omnipresent as ever, and is unleashed after one man’s premonition saves a group of coworkers from a terrifying suspension bridge collapse. But this group of unsuspecting souls was never supposed to survive, and, in a terrifying race against time, the ill-fated group frantically tries to discover a way to escape Death’s sinister agenda.

Collaborating with Steve Quale behind the scenes are director of photography Brian Pearson (Drive Angry 3D, My Bloody Valentine 3D); production designer David Sandefur (Repo Men, Journey to the Center of the Earth); editor Eric Sears (Shooter) and costume designer Jori Woodman (Eight Below).

The film is a production of New Line Cinema and will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Stay tuned for more developments on this film! Can't wait to see the results from the CPG Fusion system again soon...

FINAL DESTINATION 5 opens August 26.

Watch: New FINAL DESTINATION 5 Trailer!

Hey guys - thanks to Alexandermcn for the heads up - we have the new FINAL DESTINATION 5 trailer! Yes another iteration of the license to print $$$ is upon us and in native 3D.

Here's the storyline:
In Final Destination 5, Death is just as omnipresent as ever, and is unleashed after one man's premonition saves a group of coworkers from a terrifying suspension bridge collapse. But this group of unsuspecting souls was never supposed to survive, and, in a terrifying race against time, the ill-fated group frantically tries to discover a way to escape Death's sinister agenda.

Director: Steven Quale
Writer: Eric Heisserer
Studio: Warner Bros Pictures
Cast: Emma Bell, Nicholas D'Agosto, Miles Fisher
Release: August 12, 2011



I think these movies give the Spike Channel's 1000 WAYS TO DIE a run for its money! Love the inventiveness. That bridge is fodder for quite a few demises I am sure...

You can follow all of our continuing FINAL DESTINATION 5 coverage right here.

A Look At Warner Bros. 2011 Lineup Of Stereoscopic 3D Movies!

Warner Bros has been taking stereoscopic 3D very seriously for awhile now but I must say their 2011 production line up of feature films looks simply amazing.

Let's take a look at what is in store for us in 2011 from Warner Bros:

1. GREEN LANTERN (June 17): This is my most anticipated WB release for 2011. Yes even more than Part 2 of DEATHLY HALLOWS. I would also say it is equally if not more important for Warner Bros too: The HARRY POTTER franchise is now drawing to a close and the DC Comics vault is being opened for the big screen. There is no secret in that timing. Huge potential of course. We have really only seen the capes of Superman and Batman on the silver screen - will the other heroic characters resonate with audiences? Will the faithful fans be pleased with the end product?

From what I have seen so far - there is no need to worry. Ryan Reynolds is perfect for the role in my opinion - and yes I have heard the dissenting views believe me. This is a home run. Can't wait to see it paint a green aura all around world's box office next June. Heck work has already begun on GREEN LANTERN 2 and THE FLASH...

Director: Martin Campbell
Writers: Greg Berlanti & Michael Green & Marc Guggenheim and Michael Goldenberg; Story by Greg Berlanti & Michael Green & Marc Guggenheim. Based upon characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics
Producers: Donald De Line, Greg Berlanti
Executive Producers: Herbert W. Gains, Andrew Haas

Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Mark Strong, Angela Bassett, Tim Robbins, Temuera Morrison, Jay O. Sanders, Taika Waititi, Jon Tenney

Action Adventure. In a universe as vast as it is mysterious, a small but powerful force has existed for centuries. Protectors of peace and justice, they are called the Green Lantern Corps. A brotherhood of warriors sworn to keep intergalactic order, each Green Lantern wears a ring that grants him superpowers. But when a new enemy called Parallax threatens to destroy the balance of power in the Universe, their fate and the fate of Earth lie in the hands of their newest recruit, the first human ever selected: Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds). Hal is a gifted and cocky test pilot, but the Green Lanterns have little respect for humans, who have never harnessed the infinite powers of the ring before. But Hal is clearly the missing piece to the puzzle, and along with his determination and willpower, he has one thing no member of the Corps has ever had: humanity. With the encouragement of fellow pilot and childhood sweetheart Carol Ferris (Blake Lively), if Hal can quickly master his new powers and find the courage to overcome his fears, he may prove to be not only the key to defeating Parallax...he will become the greatest Green Lantern of all.

www.greenlantern.com

2. HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PT2 (July 15): Who hasn't been enchanted by the growth of this franchise and the development of these kids into fine young actors? While this is apparently the final movie in the HARRY POTTER series - all is not as it seems: Rowling has hinted that she will write further about the characters! Interesting indeed.

In the meantime, be prepared to witness a HUGE box office behemoth with this final release. Warner Bros will have had the time to complete this iteration in stereoscopic 3D and WILL reap the rewards. You can easily add a further 30% to the final tally. It was unfortunate that WB ran out of time in the 3D conversion of DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 1, but all is not lost - they will recoup all of that and more with the 3D Blu-ray release in the coming years.

This movie WILL be shown in IMAX 3D.

Director: David Yates
Writers: Steve Kloves
Based on the novel Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
Producers: David Heyman, David Barron, J.K. Rowling
Executive Producer: Lionel Wigram

Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis, Tom Felton, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon, Jason Isaacs, Alan Rickman, David Thewlis, Julie Walters, Bonnie Wright

Fantasy Adventure. In Part 2 of the epic finale, the battle between the good and evil forces of the Wizarding world escalates into an all-out war. The stakes have never been higher and no one is safe. But it is Harry Potter who may be called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice as he draws closer to the climactic showdown with Lord Voldemort. It all ends here.

www.harrypotter.com

3. FINAL DESTINATION 5 (August 26): Ahhh the never ending confrontations with 'Death'! I truly enjoyed the fourth in the series and the 3D added that extra spark for me. Yes, 3D in horror is ALLOWED to be proudly gimmicky and rest assured that the fifth in the franchise will continue to throw things at us. And what's wrong with that? Sound is used as a gimmick in horror too: How many of you have jumped when the audience is blasted with 1,000,000 decibels cued exactly when a cat merely jumps off camera into view? 3D is amplifying that. And I love it. For use in horror and JACK-ASS movies only please. :-)

Director: Steven Quale
Writer: Eric Heisserer
Producers: Craig Perry, Warren Zide
Executive Producers: Sheila Hanahan Taylor, Eric Holmberg, Richard Brener, Walter Hamada, Dave Neustadter

Cast: Emma Bell, Nicholas D'Agosto, Miles Fisher, Arlen Escarpeta, Jacqueline MacInnes-Wood, P.J. Byrne, Ellen Wroe, David Koechner, Courtney B. Vance, Tony Todd
Horror. Death makes a killing in the next installment in the horror series which once again proves that no matter where you run, no matter where you hide...you can't cheat death.

4. DOLPHIN TALE (October 7): Yes, this is the true story about the boy who gathers a community together to build a prosthetic tail for a dolphin who lost it in a crab trap. SO - be prepared to bring a whole thing of Kleenex with you for your family. It is gonna get messy. You might as well be going to see a dolphin show in the front row - because that's how much water works are going to be happening. That said, it should be a good experience as water works so well in 3D - and a true story never hurts.

Director: Charles Martin Smith
Writers: Karen Janszen, Noam Dromi, Charles Martin Smith and Jordan Roberts
Producers: Broderick Johnson, Andrew A. Kosove, Richard Ingber
Executive Producers: Robert Engelman, Steven P. Wegner

Voice Cast: Morgan Freeman, Harry Connick Jr., Ashley Judd, Kris Kristofferson, Nathan Gamble

Family Adventure. "Dolphin Tale" is inspired by the remarkable true story of a courageous dolphin named Winter and the compassionate people who banded together to save her life.

5. HAPPY FEET 2 (November 18): I will be the first to admit my feet were happy during the original!! Loved the score. And man can that Robin Williams belt a tune! :-) Not too much more to say than: I WANT MORE - this time in 3D!

This movie WILL be shown in IMAX 3D.

Director: George Miller
Writer: George Miller
Producers: George Miller, Doug Mitchell

Voice Cast: Elijah Wood, Robin Williams, Brad Pitt, Hank Azaria, Matt Damon, Alecia Moore (Pink), EG Daily

Animated Adventure. The sequel to the Academy Award®-winning animated smash hit, "Happy Feet 2" returns audiences to the magnificent landscape of Antarctica, reuniting us with the world's most famous tap-dancing penguin, Mumble (Elijah Wood), the love of his life, Gloria (Alecia Moore {Pink}) and their old friends Ramon and Lovelace (Robin Williams). Mumble and Gloria now have a son of their own, Erik (EG Daily), who is struggling to find his own particular talents in the Emperor Penguin world. But new dangers are threatening the penguin nation, and it's going to take everyone working--and dancing--together to save them.

6. JOURNEY 2: THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND (Release Date TBD): No more Brendan Fraser. *single tear of remorse* Ok, not really. I think Dwayne Johnson has got this thing sewn up. In fact I think he will do a better job than Fraser in this role. Sadly, to date he has not had the worldwide box office clout that Fraser has (which is actually quite a phenomenon). Back is Josh Peter Parker Hutcherson which is a good thing. Michael Caine? Brilliant move. Looking forward to that.

The live action 3D cinematography was excellent in the original JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH, especially the Iceland scenes. And the T-Rex in 3D chase sequence? Amazing. LOVED it. Hoping for more of the same excellence.

Director: Brad Peyton
Writers: Richard Outten and Mark Gunn & Brian Gunn
Producers: Beau Flynn & Tripp Vinson, Charlotte Huggins
Executive Producers: Michael Bostick, Evan Turner, Marcus Viscidi

Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Michael Caine, Josh Hutcherson, Vanessa Hudgens, Luis Guzman, Kristin Davis

Family Adventure. The follow-up to the 2008 hit. The new journey begins when young adventurer Sean (Josh Hutcherson) receives a coded distress signal from a mysterious island where no island should exist--a place of strange life forms, mountains of gold, deadly volcanoes, and more than one astonishing secret. Unable to stop him from going, Sean's new stepfather (Dwayne Johnson) joins the quest. Together with a helicopter pilot (Luis Guzman) and his beautiful, strong-willed daughter (Vanessa Hudgens), they set out to find the island, rescue its lone inhabitant and escape before seismic shockwaves force the island under the sea and bury its treasures forever.

This movie WILL be shown in IMAX 3D.

So there's the roundup! I'll be taking my family to see YOGI BEAR on December 17 (another Warner Bros 3D movie) and let me tell you the kids are amped up about it! Note that they also have a 3D documentary entitled BORN TO BE WILD (release date April 8 in IMAX only), narrated by Morgan Freeman that looks darn good too.

It gives me great pleasure to review what the coming months have in store for us in S3D from Warner Bros because they have earned it. When a major studio commits the way they have to 3D they have my ear. Good luck with the DC Comics vault guys and here's hoping for more Potter!!

What Warner Bros 3D movie are you most looking forward to in 2011?

Warner Bros. Letting It Ride On 3D: FINAL DESTINATION, DC Comics Library, ALL Major Tentpoles In Fact!!

Jim here. Vegas is all about having the kahunas to bet big and Warner Bros. was in the right town for their gung ho announcement at ShoWest.

Alan Horn (Warner Bros head) gushed about 3D almost as much as we do right here! It was a pleasure to listen to him pontificate about it. Michael and I were practically high fiving every few seconds (ok not really, but MENTALLY we were).

So what properties are Warner Bros considering for next gen 3D catalog? How about ALL OF THEIR TENTPOLES? Yes. He said that. Remember that I predicted that a major studio would go all S3D a while back? Well... this is darn close. He also indicated that they will be replacing the cash cow HARRY POTTER with the DC Comic catalog.

Individually we are looking at: THE GREEN LANTERN, THE FLASH, potentially BATMAN, SUPERMAN... and...

The fourth iteration of FINAL DESTINATION was not all that final! So says Alan Horn. FINAL DESTINATION 5 will be reaping more lives very soon. I am all for this announcement too. There are plenty of folks out there that will speak out against the franchise, but I for one - LOVE them. Bring it on.

You know what guys? I was actually expecting Disney to be the first studio to up the ante and say that all of their movies will be in 3D from now on. Warner Bros. really surprised me - but am I happy? Darn right. And at the rate these guys make money - it will only mushroom from here in 3D. :-)