阿凡达推动了3D电影市场

At the site of the world premiere of the new 3D science fiction adventure film Avatar, the first public screening of the movie is just finishing. The early verdict: "Thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyable, a James Cameron's masterpiece."

"Yeah, he's basically just topped, topped his best again and visually stunning, it's the only way you could describe it."

Expectations don't get much more intense than they are for this other worldly adventure from imagination of the Canadian director James Cameron. He also helmed the top grossing film of all time Titanic.

Avatar is obsessively noted as one of the most expensive films ever made, reportedly costing a region of 400 millions dollars to make and market. It's arguably the most anticipated 3D film ever in a year that's already marked a major resurgence for 3D movies. The director himself has noted in a recent interview with Reuters that there are French commercial benefits to take in cinema into additional dimensions.

Well, you can pirate a 3D movie, but you can't pirate it in 3D. So you can't sort of bottle that 3D experience and do a bootleg distribution of it. You've got it right now. You've got to go to a movie theatre. So this is the way to sort of get people back to the cinema for the big show, for the big experience.

UK box office looks set to surpass the one-billion-pound mark for the year in 2009. That would be a first and this in a recession. ODEON CEO Rupert Gavin says 3D movies have played a major role.

Well, this past year, 10% of our admissions would be in 3D. So 10% of our business now is a 3D business. Next year, I think it's gonna be 20%.We've already got 20 titles a month in 3D for next year. And I won't be surprised if it didn't hit close to 30.

Of course 3D crazies have come and gone in the past, but there're a great many people betting that three dimensional entertainment would prove to be more than the passing fad this time around.