We are often asked about the progress of the Digital Cinema “Roll-Out,” and word is that, not surprisingly, due to the global financial crisis, things are progressing much slower than many would have hoped for. Current figures indicate that there are about 40,000 theatrical screens in the US, while only 12% are digital, and worldwide, only about 6% of 110,000 first run screens are set up for Digital Cinema. Even fewer of these are 3-D capable, which is very troubling for the Producers of upcoming releases.

For example, James Cameron’s “Avatar,” now rumored to have a budget over Two-Hundred Million Dollars is set to release at the end of 2009, but may have trouble quickly recouping its large investment with so few 3-D capable screens available. Early word is that “Avatar” will be dramatically and technologically mind blowing, promising to make for a triumphant return to narrative cinema for Cameron after a decade long hiatus since the success of “Titanic”.