Chinese moviegoers want studios to know that not all films need the 3D treatment.
A common practice for boosting ticket sales, done by both domestic and Hollywood film producers, is to use 3D effects. Sometimes that’s not necessary. Universal’s Jason Bourne, which hit big screens in China on Aug. 23, is the latest example of that.
Last year, China’s box office reached a record $6.78 billion, though that figure is coming under scrutiny thanks to a string of “ghost screenings,” fake sales and government manipulation.
The latest instalment of the Bourne franchise starring Matt Damon raked in 74 million yuan (about $11 million) on its opening day in China, according to data provider China Box Office (link in Chinese). But Chinese moviegoers soon took to the internet to complain about the film’s 3D effects, which made them feel dizzy and uncomfortable. Many complained that they couldn’t even watch a 2D version as theaters were overwhelmingly showing the 3D one.
“There were a line of people throwing up in the restroom of the cinema I went to yesterday…I’m not exaggerating,” one moviegoer complained under a post about the film on social networking site Weibo (link in Chinese, registration required).
The Jason Bourne franchise is known for its shaky-camera style, making the movies somewhat unpleasant to watch in 3D. The new Jason Bournemovie was shot in 2D, and was converted to 3D post production. In North America, the UK, and other European markets, the film is only available in 2D format, according to movietickets
On Wednesday (Aug. 24), Universal Pictures’ China branch said in a statement on Weibo (link in Chinese) that it is working closely with local distributors to offer more 2D screenings to meet the audience’s “diversified movie-going needs.”
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