There was a 3D Entertainment Summit this weekend in Century City, which for the most part was a big circle jerk about how awesome 3-D is.  Some of the more substantive info was that making a 3-D picture costs the studio about $15 million extra, and that, according to CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg, Dreamworks plans to charge about $5 extra for tickets to 3-D features, beginning with Monsters vs. Aliens in 2009.

When reached for comment, one of the thugs in Back to the Future just chuckled to himself, muttering “Suckers.”  In related news, Gary Busey announced plans begin screening 4-D movies in his basement.  He says he’ll be charging $10 more for 4-D, but only until he pays off the tickle chair.

^{Run for your lives, it’s Larry Miller!}

Dreamworks just released a new trailer for Monsters vs. Aliens, and thankfully, the concept seems a lot more inspired than Kung Fu Panda.  It has the usual collection of celebrity voice talent including Reese Witherspoon, Seth Rogen, Will Arnett, and Stephen Colbert, but more importantly, it’s the first film to be developed entirely in 3D from start to finish, rather than just created conventionally and converted afterwards.  I don’t know how that’ll affect my experience as a viewer, exactly, but I have my fingers crossed that it leads to me saying “Whoooooaaaa” a lot.
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This is the buttcam version of the trailer for Monsters vs. Aliens, Dreamworks’ upcoming 3-D cartoonstravaganza. Hopefully a legit version will be up soon.

The DreamsWorks sci-fi spoof, landing March 27, 2009, also transforms a once-tacky Ike-era gimmick into an eye-popping 21st-century experience as the first computer-animated feature to be shot in 3-D.
Studios such as Disney have dimensionalized CGI films, but only after a non-3-D version was made.
"This isn’t our father’s 3-D," says the studio’s animation chief, Jeffrey Katzenberg. Though it still relies on funny glasses, "the digital projection puts a perfect image on the screen. There is no ghosting, no eye strain or nausea."
To avoid confusion, since computer animation is already called 3-D, Katzenberg calls it "the Ultimate 3-D."
Monsters tickets will cost more because the process adds about $15 million to a film’s budget, but Katzenberg believes audiences will pay for "a premium experience."  [USA Today]

The film is based on the horror comicbook "Rex Havoc," about a monster hunter called upon to battle aliens who disrupt cable TV service.  The characters are voiced by Reese Witherspoon, Rainn Wilson, Hugh Laurie, Seth Rogen, Will Arnett and Kiefer Sutherland.  [RopeofSilicon]

I imagine I won’t mind spending the extra cash on this when it comes out.  Not because I agree with the concept of charging more for certain movies, but because I’ll probably be really high when I see it and the concept of currency is confusing as hell when you’re stoned.  I also think Jeffrey Catzenberg, the powerful Jewish tabby, would be a great cartoon character.