Photo: Peter Newell

Confirming that 3D may not be a fad, Alice in Wonderland’s opening weekend of $116 million has Hollywood smiling all the way to the bank and uncertain manufacturers reassured that their huge 3D TV investments would not be for naught.

It’s Alice and Tim Burton

Admittedly, it may be unfair to say Alice in Wonderland 3D succeeded because of 3D. The cast, starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Johnny Depp, was great. The director, Tim Burton, has enough clout that this film is often referred to as Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland. And the story is a Disney classic people the world over know backwards.

Photo: Sony

But one can be certain that the 3D TV supporters will see this as anecdotal evidence that 3D is a game-changer in Hollywood. The fear, of course, is the bandwagon effect this may lead to, with studios ramping up 3D productions at the expense of telling good stories.

Controversy

As seems only fitting for the convoluted, borderline bizarre tale Alice in Wonderland 3D tells, the film very nearly didn’t see wide release in the UK with Odeon and Disney having a small spat. It’s also been a conversation starter for how 3D technology was introduced after the fact in some scenes, most notably the tea party scene, giving a good case for how well 3D restoration of classic films will actually work.

Oscar nod

Photo: PhOtOnQuAnTiQuE

The great oddity about Alice in Wonderland 3D is its release date. Opening on the stroke of Oscar weekend means the film will only be eligible for Oscars – which it will certainly be nominated for – next year. Given the human tendency to focus on (and remember) what’s recent, it’s very possible that the film may be overlooked simply because it would have been an entire year since most people would have seen it. Still, Tim Burton, his cast and Disney can rest assured that their gamble has paid off. Now the wait for the as-yet announced but hotly anticipated Snow White remake.

All that counts is that there are now two solid cases for thinking 3D TV to be more than just a fad – Avatar and Alice.