For Pixar, 3D is a lesser priority
Pixar built Hollywood's most consistent animation shop by balancing interest from families and adults. But that brand strength doesn't always translate to 3D success: Last weekend, "Brave" yielded a 3D share of only 34% for its domestic B.O. tally -- a new low for stereo toons.
That result can only stoke Hollywood's concerns about the format's place in animation, once seen as the vanguard of the 3D revival. While the gap between 3D toons and their live-action counterparts widens and execs seek to understand why foreign auds spark to the format more than Americans, they're faced with a more ominous question: Are animated 3D films becoming an exception, or signaling a deepening domestic erosion? ...
Domestic 3D shares don't tell the whole story, however: The majority of global 3D box office comes from international markets still hungry for it, particularly China and Russia. "Brave," for instance, was released only in 3D in China, and it scored a 79% share from the format in Russia. Overall, 3D contributed 73% of "Brave's" international B.O. haul to date, from territories that also included Australia. ...
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