SHREK TAKES ON IRON MAN, ROBIN HOOD

Box office forecasters are not convinced that Shrek Forever After will turn out to be as green as the first three movies when it opens this weekend. Most predict that the movie may not reach $100 million, despite rising 3D premiums that have put total ticket prices at a $20 record in some IMAX locations. The last Shrek sequel opened in 2007 with $122 million — in 2D. Some analysts are expressing alarm at the big boost in ticket prices for the 3D screenings of the movie. As reported by today’s (Friday) Wall Street Journal, Richard Greenfield, a media analyst for the institutional brokerage firm BTIG, said in a research post Thursday: “With the state of the economy remaining questionable, we worry [ticket] pricing is simply moving up too quickly.” He said he was especially concerned about prices for family films. “The danger is scaring consumers away from the movie theaters.” In its report, the Journal commented, “The $20 ticket may prove to be a psychological barrier too steep for some moviegoers to overcome, but the industry appears ready to take the risk, especially in the wake of a string of 3-D blockbusters, from Avatar to Alice in Wonderland.” In any case, Shrek Forever After is expected to trounce every other film in the megaplex this weekend, including Iron Man 2, which led the box office for the previous two weekends, and Robin Hood, which made a weak debut last weekend.