Exhibs: No upcharge for 48fps 'THE HOBBIT'

EXCLUSIVE: While moviegoers will have to shell out the usual 3D upcharge for Warner Bros.’ THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY, U.S. exhibitors have agreed not to charge more for the film’s 48 frames-per-second showtimes. It was widely assumed that auds would have to pay a premium for the doubled frame-rate format, compared to the industry-standard 24 fps — and someday, they might. But with 3D already costing on average $3-$5 more than a 2D ticket, Warners did not advocate for a higher ticket price, and exhibs agreed. As Variety first reported, Warners plans a limited rollout for its high-frame-rate version of THE HOBBIT, which launches Dec. 14. The studio wants to protect the format’s first time out by going in limited release — reaction was mixed during a presentation this spring at CinemaCon — so it’s no surprise that the studio is against a HFR upcharge. - Andrew Stewart