New dimension to cinema spending

New Zealand's box office bonanza shows no sign of waning.

Weekly cinema takings are up to 50 per cent higher this year compared with 2009, while Alice in Wonderland has recorded one of the biggest weekend takings in New Zealand history.

The 3D film, starring Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, grossed $1.1 million during its opening weekend this month. It was the best opening weekend of the year and is now in the top 50 all-time best opening weekends.

New Zealand box office takings were 35 per cent higher last week than for the same period last year.

The boom peaked in the week ending February 3, with $3.8m in box office takings, 51 per cent higher than for the same period a year ago.

Industry executives say the increasing number of 3D screens and the popularity of Avatar have contributed to the boom.

Motion Picture Distributors' Association executive director Bill Hood said a combination of 3D movies and a string of popular films fuelled the bonanza.

He said the rest of the year looked strong, with sequels for popular franchises like Iron Man, Sex and the City, Toy Story and Shrek.

Press film critic Margaret Agnew said the popularity of Avatar attracted people to 3D films.

"It is the novelty factor of people switching on to the new 3D and realising it is not the dodgy red and green glasses any more."

New Zealand International Film Festival programmer Ant Timpson said the film industry was hoping 3D would not be a flash in the pan.

- © Fairfax NZ News