Technicolor has signed up the first movie theater chain to use its 3D on film process that will speed up the number of screens showing the format. Bow Tie Cinemas, with theaters on the East Coast and in Colorado, will use the proprietary Technicolor lens at 25 out of 150 screens. The first film to be made available in Technicolor 3D is “How to Train Your Dragon” from DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc on March 26. With the rollout of digital projection equipment into movie theaters slowed by the credit crunch and recession, Technicolor stepped up with a process to show 3D films at a lower cost than digital. The combination of the special lens fitting on a standard 35mm projector and the process to create the film prints will mean more screens to show the 3D films that Hollywood studios are now turning out a quick pace. Walt Disney Studios brings “Alice in Wonderland” to theaters March 5, with the next 3D release being “Dragon” from DreamWorks Animation. Warner Bros. Pictures follows with “Clash of the Titans” in early April.
