When Avatar blasted into theaters in 2009 it took the concept of 3D movies to a level that had never been seen. Gone were the days of seeing a single piranha coming at you in your blue and red paper glasses. We now have the true technology to make an immersive 3D experience happen. Most theaters were even forced to install the RealD 3D systems necessary to make Avatar their centerpiece.

Avatar went on to make a staggering $2 billion at the box office and won director James Cameron three Oscars. Since then, we’ve been waiting for the next great 3D movie, and it’s finally here: Avatar: The Way of Water. We waited thirteen years just to have the next great 3D movie be the sequel to the James Cameron original. But, it may have been wasted time.

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The Process of Making a 3D Movie is Costly

     20th Century Studios

The problem with 3D movies is that they are expensive to make. James Cameron himself needed all thirteen years to actually make the Avatar sequel due to technological constraints. His studio Lightstorm Entertainment even pioneered certain motion capture technology just to make the movie happen. However, these movies take money, forethought, and a level of control that most studios are not willing to finance or give up.

Therefore, we were left with half-baked films that were 90% 2D and 10% 3D. Even then, a portion of that 3D was trailers for the next film. Even Marvel jumped on the bandwagon, offering their films in both formats only to have the 3D version have the added bonus of Captain America throwing his shield directly at the camera. Studios and theaters loved it because the gimmick, much like it had been used for decades, brought people back to the movies and allowed theaters to charge an extra three dollars for tickets that were already pricing some people out.

The Fall of 3D Came With The Rise of Streaming

After some time, much like any fad, 3D faded. Theaters packed up the glasses, movies became normal again, and streaming services took most of us away from theaters. This meant that revenue streams dipped, popcorn prices went up, and many of the bad movies studios churned out ended up on TV instead of in the cinema.

Then along came Netflix and the industry lost its mind. Industry professionals were concerned about just how much money they were losing and that the blight of streaming was destroying the industry. The only people not complaining were the people.

Can Avatar: The Way of Water Recharge the System?

Avatar: The Way of Water opened on December 15 to critical acclaim. People once again donned their new 3D glasses and headed to their brand-new theaters. For a while, everyone was happy. Avatar: The Way of Water did rather well. Its Thursday night preview brought in $17 million and moviegoers were enjoying the experience.

But, this may once again be the beginning of a difficult trend. The hope would be that Avatar: The Way of Water will usher in some fascinating 3D movies. Like before, it appears as though Marvel may be jumping on the bandwagon. One of the trailers attached to the new Avatar movie was for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. This trailer was in full 3D and made the quantum realm pop with color and atmosphere. However, the odds that the entire movie would be filmed in vivid 3D are next to none. So where does that leave us?

What Direction Will 3D Movies Go Next?

     Avatar: The Way of Water

In the end, the way this will play out will be just as it has been before. Much like everything in our society, there are cycles. Cinema is no different. There are trends that fade, genres that rise and fall, and improvements to the theater-going experience.

James Cameron has said that if everything goes the way he wants, there will be five Avatar movies. The industry, and audiences, are excited about this. Even if the movies do a fraction of the business that the first Avatar did, headlines will still use phrases like “flocked to theaters.” Each of these movies takes years to produce, meaning it may take a while for the entire franchise to play out.

For the next year or so there will likely be a confluence of movies that have 3D elements. They will be offered in 2D and 3D with the promise of a little something extra in the enhanced version that won’t look as great on your television, encouraging you to come to theaters. Soon after, people will head back to their televisions and streaming services that will now be showing commercials just like the old channels did. They’ll get fed up with that experience as well. But then, two years from now, James Cameron will come out with the third Avatar and everyone will hope for another 3D experience.

The only thing we can hope for is that, without the extended wait for the next film, 3D technology will make strides and not be trapped in the cycle again.