Clash of the Titans sold $61.4 million in tickets in North America over the weekend, enough for first place. But that strong showing was powered less by 3-D screenings than by traditional ones.
A significant percentage of moviegoers opted to see Sam Worthingtonslay Medusa in “Titans” in cheaper 2-D theaters. That was probably a consequence of a shortage of 3-D theaters, escalating 3-D ticket prices and fan skepticism about the process used to make this film 3-D.
“Clash of the Titans,” which cost Warner Brothers and Legendary Pictures about $122 million to make, was conceived as a 2-D release. But audiences proved so willing to pay $3 to $5 extra to see James Cameron’s “Avatar” in 3-D that Warner opted for a hasty overhaul.
About 48 percent of total ticket sales for “Clash of the Titans” came from traditional screenings, according to box office analysts. By comparison, regular screenings contributed about 30 percent of opening-weekend sales for the 3-D “Alice in Wonderland”(Walt Disney), which opened before theaters raised 3-D ticket prices by as much as 26 percent and at a time when there were fewer 3-D films vying for attention.
Warner Brothers had to battle for a limited pool of 3-D theaters, ending up with 1,602 locations out of a possible 2,540, with “Alice” and “How to Train Your Dragon,” both released last month, occupying other spots.
Warner Brothers also faced criticism from film fans — among them Mr. Cameron — for converting “Clash of the Titans” into 3-D rather than filming it from the start in the format.To some degree any 3-D revenue was gravy since “Clash of the Titans” was planned only as a 2-D release. “With our big opening we will try to swing some more 3-D screens into our corner this week,” said Dan Fellman, Warner Brothers’ president for domestic distribution. He said most of the 3-D screenings for “Clash of the Titans” had sold out, suggesting that the theater bottleneck was the primary reason more people saw it in the traditional format.
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