Sony Pictures doesn't want to pay for 3-D glasses anymore, and is telling movie theaters that starting next May, they'll have to cough up the cash, TheWrap has confirmed.
With glasses costing studios at least 50 cents per admission, costs for 3-D eyewear can consume $5 million or more for a movie that grosses over $100 million.
The National Association of Theater Owners did not respond to comment.
However, this is not the first time a major studio has tried to move the cost burden of 3-D eyewear to exhibition.
In 2009, prior to the release of its third "Ice Age" film, Fox told theaters it wouldn't be paying for 3D glasses. Regal Cinemas — the nation's largest chain — killed the idea by telling Fox that rather than paying, it'd only run the 2-D version of the film.
Disney established the precedent for studios paying for 3D glasses, when — in an effort to kickstart the digital-cinema market — it agreed to float the eyewear for the 2005 release of "Chicken Little."
Sony has a pair of big 3-D films scheduled to be released next year: "Men in Black III" and "The Amazing Spider-Man" will be in theaters May 25 and July 3, respectively. The Beverly Hills-based RealD supplies the glasses, which it says cost less than 50 cents per pair.
It's also keeping out of the battle.
In a statement released to TheWrap, RealD said, "We understand there are discussions between studios and exhibitors about domestic 3-D glasses. There are multiple business models for 3-D glasses around the world and we are confident that domestic studios and exhibitors will work together to find an appropriate resolution for all parties. As a global company that works within multiple business models for 3-D glasses, RealD will support whatever decision is made between domestic exhibitors and studios."
Moviegoers pay a premium of around $3 for 3-D films. The money is split between theater owners and studios.
Theater owners, who have upgraded their screens to accommodate 3-D movies, don't want to pay the additional cost, and studios, which pay in the neighborhood of $18 million in additional costs to make movies in 3-D, don't want to incur it either.
And it's unlikely patrons will be willing to fork over more money for glasses in addition to higher-priced tickets.
Disney started the trend of paying for the glasses when 3-D movies became resurgent several years ago.
A spokesman for the National Association of Theatre Owners did not return a message seeking comment.
