Roger Ebert has made no bones about his strong dislike for the new wave of 3-D cinema, but recent evidence suggests filmgoing audiences feel otherwise. When we asked last December whether 3-D could save horror movies, we didn’t anticipate that the answer would be such a resounding “yes.†Exhibit A: the formerly ailing Final Destination series.
Patrick Goldstein of the L.A. Times reports that the most recent entry in the franchise, The Final Destination 3-D, has become the highest grossing film in the series on both the domestic and international fronts; by the time its run is over, it will have collected some $190 million on an estimated production budget of $40 million. Warner Bros.’ decision to shoot the film in three pants-shitting dimensions not only saved their ailing franchise, but it could do the same for their rebooted Friday the 13th series. Look for Jason to hack his way through another batch of sex-crazed teenagers in 3-D on August 13, 2010. Again.
Cracking the case: The mysterious success of ‘The Final Destination’ [Big Picture/LAT]