could you provide some citations of where you are getting these numbers. Not saying they are wrong but they are hard to believe. I would have trouble finding more than half a dozen of my friends that will even put up with 3D and of them I only know 2 that actually like it. 90% sounds like BS. I have Netflix too, I still go to the cinema as the experience is better, 3D to myself and many others detracts from that experience significantly. It will also take a lot more than a few blockbuster movies to make this year not a decline and it is still way too early to tell on that front.

My wife and I took my dad out to dinner and to see Man of Steel for Father's Day. When we got to the theater after dinner, the 2D showing was sold out and we had to get tickets for 3D instead. None of us enjoyed it or were wowed by the 3D in any way. While exiting the theater, I overheard one gentlemen ask his friend, "So was the 3D worth it?" His friend replied, "Oh definitely, it's like seeing an entirely different movie!" Which prompted me to ask my wife, "So if you see it in 2D, do they play the movie in black and white or something?"  According to Box Office Mojo:  "3D accounted for 41 percent of sales, which made this another unimpressive weekend for the format."

It must not be expensive to add in the 3D effects, and the movie studios are just using it as a way to nearly double the ticket prices on consumers. Because, I cannot fathom any other reason for why they are pushing a format that on most films accounts for less than 30% of overall ticket sales. I mean, they put out a version of "The Great Gatsby" in 3D. The Great Gatsby! Who's paying extra to watch people "talk" in 3D??  Again, citing Box Office Mojo:  "The only noticeable negative for Gatsby was the poor 3D performance—only 33 percent of the weekend gross came from 3D showings, which is an incredibly low figure for a live-action movie."

At least get your facts straight. Christopher Nolan is one of 5 writers for Man of Steel, he left the project to pursue his own movies after he could not agree with the ending.

Guillermo Del Torro's complaint is that 3D makes things look smaller, he is ok with co-directing a stop motion version of Pinocchio in 3D as the whole point of stop motion is looking at a miniature. As far as I can tell he's obsessed with the look of the characters, not the 3D process.

I don't know about Abrams promiss to go 3D, but I imagine if the studio is pushing it on him he'll want to have a say in it anyway.

HD and Imax or not a bigger gimmick, heck don't you youself keep saying that you have to go to IMAX to enjoy 3D?
Or are you being sarcastic now, I can't tell.
48/60 fps has a future too, for certain styles or action scenes if they fix the scene lighting. That will take some time to figure out as everything has been developed to make 24fps look good. However 3D already exists since 1922, and still no solution for the focus/convergence problem. And glasses free 3D cinema also seems to be impossible for a long time to come.

At the end of the day 3D is going the way of shaky cam. It will be there as a film style, it won't replace 2D. The balance is only skewed at the moment due to the higher ticket prices.

I think he's referring to Russia and China, where indeed you can get the bootleg 2D version as soon as or before the movie comes out. (unlike the netflix excuse where you have to wait a year at least) And it's still considered cool there.

http://www.theloop.ca/showbiz/movies/news/article/-/a/2230761/3D-movies-are-cooler-in-China
The Wrap reports that between 40 and 60 percent of U.S. box office returns come from the 3D versions of new films (around half of all moviegoers choose to see the regular, non-3D version). Elsewhere, that figure is as high as 90 percent. Russian and Chinese audiences are flocking to 3D films at a rate much higher than their American counterparts
Not 70% of Americans btw.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-06-11/hollywood-producer-we-are-making-our-movies-basically-for-russia-and-china-.html
"So much of the enormous talent that used to populate the movie business, which is the people who made our best dramas, the people who made our best comedies, have sort of been frozen out of the blockbuster market that is feeding China, which really wants our 3-D and our IMAX. We are making our movies, basically, for Russia and China -- which means you will never see a Russian and Chinese bad guy again. Thank God for the North Koreans."

The story is different in Europe

http://metro.co.uk/2013/05/04/3d-movies-fall-out-of-favour-as-ticket-sales-drop-by-a-third-3713184/
Figures released by Rentrak EDI show that 3D movies accounted for just 18 per cent of all cinema ticket sales in 2012, compared to 27.5 per cent of sales in 2010.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2013/apr/12/3d-films-slide-fitch-report
However, Fitch has concluded the novelty is starting to wear off. 3D box office takings in the US and Canada have remained static at $1.8bn for the past two years, and are set for a slight year-on-year decline in 2013 despite a strong lineup of 3D releases, including Star Trek Into Darkness, Iron Man 3 and Man of Steel.

Christopher Nolan is both writer & producer of Man of Steel. Story by Christopher Nolan & David S. Goyer, and the Producer is Christopher Nolan and the woman who was producer for the batman trilogy.

Gillermo Del Toro use to complain about 3D making things smaller from his personal experience with what he had seen. But if you see Pacific Rim in 3D you will see it makes the screen look soo much more bigger. So his own 3D movie this July 12 2013 contradicts his own statement. Plus my experience of 3D is that it makes that screen waaay bigger like: Castlevania Lords of Shadow Mirror of Fate & Lego City Undercover the chase begins & Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D. And the 3D effect keeps making the screen look even way more bigger every 6 to 8 months with more newer games always having more EXTREMELY insane 3D, which is just awesome.

Everyone who sees Pacific Rim 3D & Luigi's Mansion Dark moon & Castlevania mirror of fate & Lego City Undercover Prequel & Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D agrees.

Neil Blomkamp said HD & IMAX always adds less to a movie then 3D.

And in the past not that many comas supported stereoscopic movies, until 2011 when we went from a minority of theaters being capable of showing stereoscopic movies to now having most to all of today's American cinemas now capable of displaying stereoscopic movies since they now have the equipment to do it at all. Plus 3D TVs never became mainstream like color TVs until recently.

And a lot of people only hate 3D for having to wear 3D glasses, but with glasses free 3D 4K HD TVs from such companies as Toshiba where 9 different people can move across the room all the time and still see the 3D 24/7, there's gonna be less reason for a good percentage of 3D haters to hate 3D because a good portion of them only hate the needing to wear glasses for 3D outside of cinemas part.

And I only said to watch IMAX for a few 3D movies, namely Iron Man 3 & Man of Steel & Hobbit 2 during 2013. But almost all 3D movies are just fine on the regular size screen for the theater format of the 3D effect.

2012 had like 601 movies with up to 45 of them having a 3D version.

Basically less then 1/12 of those movies where in 3D with a cheaper 2D alternative version to pay for, but somehow the 3D movie screenings of movies that make up less then 10% of all movies made up 40% to 60% of profits in theaters when they only charge $1 to $3 more then a 2D movie screening cost.

So nice way to doge reality like your source did.

Posting your source for more people to crunch the numbers that all your links intentionally ignore:

http://www.theloop.ca/showbiz/movies/news/article/-/a/2230761/3D-movies-are-cooler-in-China

So clearly in 2013, more then 70% of Americans right now, currently like 3D movies.

at the bold, you forgot to mention that less then 10% of movies each year have a 3D version, but make up 40% to 60% of box office sales thru their 3D screenings alone.

Man of Steel being good in 3D, well that person must have saw the IMAX 3D version to say that to his friend.

The only movies in 2013 that need to be seen in IMAX to enjoy the theater format of the 3D effect that I know of is: Iron Man 3 & Man of Steel & The Hobbit 2. So see the Hobbit 2 in IMAX if you want to enjoy its 3D effect.

But they always re-format the 3D effect before they release it on 3D Blu-Ray so you can enjoy it on a 40 to 50 inch screen or maybe even smaller (for example the Hobbit 1 in 3D on TV).

If you are going to see a 3D movie on a regular size theater screen for the theater format, then I would suggest Pacific Rim 3D & R.I.P.D. 3D for the near future.

independence day 3D (comes out tomorrow I believe) should be good in 3D, but I can't be sure until I check it out myself to report to everyone.

I would suggest that everyone should see The Great Gatsby in 3D as soon as you can, whenever that might be.

If you haven't seen the Great Gatsby in 3D, then you have no right to criticize it.

Where do you make the leap to 70% like 3D movies? Any figures to back that up? Plus what is the percentage that go to 3D screenings yet don't really care for it, for reasons that the 2D version is sold out / not available at that time, or wanting to see it in IMAX. (Are there any 2D IMAX showings for 3D movies?)

The argument that 10% of movies make up 40% to 60% of revenues doesn't mean much, that has always been the case with big blockbusters. Needing a 3D surcharge to keep that status quo is actually a worrying trend.

But if you see Pacific Rim in 3D you will see it makes the screen look soo much more bigger. So his own 3D movie this July 12 2013 contradicts his own statement. Plus my experience of 3D is that it makes that screen waaay bigger like: Castlevania Lords of Shadow Mirror of Fate & Lego City Undercover the chase begins & Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D. And the 3D effect keeps making the screen look even way more bigger every 6 to 8 months with more newer games always having more EXTREMELY insane 3D, which is just awesome.

Everyone who sees Pacific Rim 3D & Luigi's Mansion Dark moon & Castlevania mirror of fate & Lego City Undercover Prequel & Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D agrees.

Well I'm not part of the everyone you're referring too, and I'm sure there are more like me. It does not make the screen bigger, it makes me aware of the screen. The action is contained in a box or behind a window with fuzzy edges and I'm constantly reminded that it's not real. It's a cool effect but it stands in the way of me connecting with the movie.
In 2D I get lost inside the movie, the movie world becomes a 3D representation inside my head without boundaries or limited to a fixed scale and it allows me to freely move around the scene.

Or to try another analogy, stereoscopic 3D forces me into the driver's seat or a fast moving car. Good for immersion, great for games, however it forces you to pay attention to the 'road' all the time. While 2D is more like watching the scenery scroll by as a passenger, free to let your eyes wander around and get lost in the landscape.

2D makes it easier to emotionally connect with the characters, 3D lessens the connection.

3D is not the same as going from B&W to color. Color is directly tied to emotions, color grading is a great way to emotionally enhance a scene ot set the mood. 3D isn't enhancing anything for me. I don't see the world press photo go nuts for 3D.

Yeah I'll always opt for the 2D screening.

I wouldn't waste my time arguing with him about this.

Its pretty much obvious in this thread that people that dislike tacked on 3D outnumber people that are loving it. There is like 4 people in this entire thread who said they appreciate 3D in movie theaters. He can spin arguments in favor of 3D and its popularity all he wants, this thread proves otherwise...