It’s already how things work in the U.K. — moviegoers pay to buy their own 3D glasses — but this practice may be coming to the U.S. and Canada. From the Los Angeles Times:
A rift between Hollywood studios and theater chains over who should foot the bill for 3-D glasses erupted publicly Wednesday after exhibitors lashed out at Sony Pictures’ plan to stop covering those costs starting in May. The nation’s largest cinema operator, Regal Entertainment Group, threatened to not play certain movies in retaliation.
At least one other studio said it was also considering revisiting its policy on 3-D glasses. Several others privately said they were hoping Sony would prevail and, if so, would take similar action to reduce their costs of releasing 3-D movies.
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Instead, Sony wants theaters to follow a policy that’s already common in other parts of the world: having consumers pay for their own disposable 3-D glasses, either to rent for each movie or to own a pair they can take home. Such a cost would come on top of the roughly $3 surcharge moviegoers already pay for each 3-D movie ticket.
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Who bears the expense of 3-D glasses varies in different foreign theatrical markets, Heineman said. In Latin America, as in the U.S., the studios pay, while in Europe, 3-D glasses are a separate concession item that moviegoers buy. In some theaters in China, moviegoers rent the glasses in exchange for a refundable deposit.
If you’re not already shelling out extra for a 3D showing of a new film, it’s unlikely that having to pay even more will change your mind about that. But it’s easy to see how an extra extra charge would discourage some from 3D screenings. On the other hand, if one were careful with one’s 3D glasses — and remembered to bring them along to the multiplex — having to buy a pair of 3D glasses would be only a one-time extra extra.
What do you think? If you had to pay for your own 3D glasses, would that change your decision to see a 3D movie?
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