Marcus Theatres announced today that they will be increasing their 3D capability with 19 new installations to take place by April 2010. Ten of these installations will be at locations with no previous 3D setups, with the remaining nine at locations that already have at least one 3D installation.

The new systems will be using equipment from RealD, which uses a combination of the digital projector and server, passive glasses (see the image to the left), and a silver screen to create the 3D images that audiences will experience.

"Expanding our digital 3D footprint continues to be a major part of our growth strategy," said Bruce J. Olson, president of Marcus Theatres. "Monster hits like Avatar continue to move digital 3D full-speed ahead as digital 3D movies attract a wide variety of audiences. In fact, digital 3D films have outperformed the corresponding 2D version of the same movie by a factor of two to three times. We expect that digital 3D movies will continue to positively impact the box office as the number of 3D films continues to significantly increase and more 2D movies are being converted to 3D films."

The locations that will be receiving their first 3D installation are:

• Marcus College Square - Cedar Falls, Iowa
• Marcus Sycamore Cinema 12 - Iowa City, Iowa
• Marcus Hastings Theatre - Hastings, Minnesota
• Marcus Rosemount Theatre - Rosemount, Minnesota
• Marcus West Acres 14 - Fargo, North Dakota
• Marcus South Pointe Cinemas - Lincoln, Nebraska
• Marcus Hillside Cinemas - Delafield, Wisconsin
• Marcus Green Bay East - Green Bay, Wisconsin
• Marcus Southgate Cinemas - Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• Marcus Oshkosh Cinemas - Oshkosh, Wisconsin

Additional 3D installations will be at the following locations:

• Marcus Addison Cinemas - Addison, Illinois
• Marcus Gurnee Cinemas - Gurnee, Illinois
• Marcus Twin Creek Cinema - Bellevue, Nebraska
• Marcus Village Pointe Cinema - Omaha, Nebraska
• Marcus Crosswoods UltraScreen Cinema - Columbus, Ohio
• Marcus Menomonee Falls Cinemas - Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin
• Marcus Ridge Cinemas - New Berlin, Wisconsin
• Marcus Majestic Brookfield - Waukesha, Wisconsin

Two digital 3D systems will be installed at Marcus Ridge, bringing the total at that location to three.

The recent box office success of Avatar has raised the awareness of 3D even higher than it was before that movie's release. The fact that most theaters charge an additional fee for 3D shows means that movie studios and theaters alike reap the benefits of 3D movies and the audiences they attract. For instance, Marcus charges an additional $3 on the price of an adult movie ticket for 3D shows at the Marcus Ridge Cinemas location, representing about 31% more ticket revenue per person.

Source: Marcus Theatres Press Release. Thanks to reader Ron H. for sending us this news!