Impressive Nemo 3D swims to 2nd

Impressive Nemo 3D swims to 2nd

The latest film to get an impressive 3D makeover from Disney, “Finding Nemo,” posted a solid second-place in opening weekend domestic box-office of $16.7 million behind the newest original 3D release, the fifth episode of Sony’s franchise, “Resident Evil: Retribution,” with $21.1 mil.

“Resident Evil,” which enjoyed 48% of its grosses from premium-priced 3D movie tickets, also had the benefit of the added IMAX and other large screen format ticket premiums, which accounted for a combined 18%. But 96% of ticket sales netted by “Nemo” were from 3D showings, which is typical of converted re-releases, according to BoxOfficeMojo.com.

“Nemo’s” three-day tally was only a tail fin below the Jan. 13 opening weekend of Disney’s 3D re-release of “Beauty and the Beast,” which also waltzed to second place with $17.8 mil. and “Titanic 3D” in April with $17. 3 million. “Beauty” charmed its way to $23.5 mil. over the four-day holiday weekend, 97% of which came from 3D, before topping out at $47.6 mil. “Titanic” was a splash better with $58 mil. domestic. “Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace” had $22 mil. in February but appeared to Jar Jar Binked when it fizzled quickly to a final total of $43.5 mil. All four were significantly under the industry-shocking opening weekend of a 3D conversion of “The Lion King” last September, which grabbed $30.2 mil. and went on to collect a total of $94 mil. at the domestic box-office and $177 mil. worldwide. “Titanic 3D” rode a foreign wave to a whopping $286 mil. outside the U.S. (including more than $100 mil. from the film’s first release in China) for a huge global haul of $344 mil. worldwide.

“Nemo,” with $865.6 mil. in global box-office before this weekend, is the second-biggest Pixar movie of all-time behind “Toy Story 3,” according to Hollywood.com/BoxOffice. That movie was initially released in 3D following tepid ticket sales for a double-bill re-release of 3D conversions of “Toy Story” and “Toy Story 2” that topped out at about $30 mil. in 2009.

Pixar’s Toy Story Toons 3D short PartySaurus Rex

The 3D presentation for “Nemo” is one of the strongest yet for the studio, which tends to play the format pretty conservatively. The inherent underwater visuals in “Nemo” provide a panoply of opportunities for showcasing dynamic depth between all the fish — individual and in schools, as well as the reefs and other aquatic lifeforms. It also gives the dark and scary scenes a more palpable sense of fear. Preceding the release is the latest Toy Story Toons 3D short called “Partysaurus Rex,” which offers a clever concept and a flotilla of new characters in bathtub toys. Although it is not carried out with as much humor as one might expect, the 3D opportunities abound and are exploited fairly well.