Reports have already shown that the hunger for HD in the Middle East is rising, and apparently so is the hunger for digital cinema. The Middle East's very first digital cinemas have opened in the desert playground this week, with two screens showing digital versions of the latest Mummy film at Grand Cinema's Grand Festival complex in Dubai Festival City. If plans pan out, Grand Cinema expects to have all of its screens converted to digital within two years, and yes, the third-dimension was mentioned. According to Gulf Films' Jean Ramia (pictured), digital really is "the future of cinema," and now that it's becoming more pervasive, we can expect to see "a lot more 3D films being produced." Goggles up!

Funny story -- so just four months back, we were seriously wondering if 3D theaters could truly thrive. Here we are just a season later, and the answer is looking clearer all the time. Cinépolis, the planet's fifth largest cinema exhibitor, has just announced in conjunction with RealD a new partnership that will bring 500 new 3D screens to locales in Mexico, South America and Central America. Six of the new screens have already been installed, while the remainder will continue to be rolled out until 2010. Exact cities weren't mentioned, but we are told that those who get 'em before December can expect to see Disney's BOLT in eye-popping 3D this Christmas.

[Image courtesy of HomeTheaterBlog]

We're not told whether or not all 16 of the digital Sony projectors in the Southcenter 16 are 4K or not, but AMC's still pretty proud of its latest cineplex. The 2,900-seat venue houses 16 screens (obviously) which will see imagery from all digital PJs, meaning that nary a strip of film will be shipped in. Additionally, the design of the facility was made to showcase the surroundings, with a vast window in the reception area that "on a clear day, frames Mount Rainier to look like the Paramount logo." Hey, look at that -- we just found you some plans this weekend up in the Pacific Northwest.

We'll admit -- we had serious doubts that 3D cinema would ever take off so long as patrons were forced to wear those gaudy glasses, but the opening weekend numbers for Journey To The Center Of The Earth make a good case that 3D is viable. In a release put out by Real3D, we're told that 55% of the box office revenue generated by the film was handed over by guests watching it in the third-dimension. In short, the Real3D version took in "3.7 times the revenue of the 2D alternative." It should be noted, however, that 3D viewings are generally more expensive than traditional screens, so we can't say with any degree of certainty that more people saw the film in 3D than in 2D. Still, this seems like a pretty big deal in the 3D arena to us, and we're sure it's all the motivation some studios needed to move forward with costly 3D endeavors.

As 3D technology takes over theaters in the U.S., cost considerations have kept European theaters from following, but now Dolby Labs is celebrating deals to put its technology in cinemas worldwide. Variety has the details on an agreement for more then 350 screens in Europe, Asia and the Americas, which differs from its main competitor Real D by avoiding the need for a new screen, and opting to sell the system outright instead of collecting royalties from ticket sales. All the same, no matter where you are, expect the opportunity to check out Journey to the Center of the Earth while wearing silly-looking glasses later this summer.

Keep an eye out for a new development at IMAX theaters near you, as it starts to roll out digital projection to its 296 theaters next month. Two sites in Washington and one in Philadelphia are first (not to mention those new theaters in Russia), with 50 expected to be complete by the end of the year. The big deal here is that the savings cost, switching from a $22,000 70mm IMAX print to $800 hard drive copies, along with more joint venture deals, should lead the company to profitability according to analysts. Look for more flicks available in IMAX format as a result, with Madagascar 2 making the first big jump to digital, with plans to hit 35 screens on November 7.

Remember that one-off Mavericks / Clippers matchup that was shown in 3D in a Dallas-area cinema? If AccessIT has its way, those types of events will be popping up all over the United States here soon. Said outfit has just announced plans to install 150 of its CineLive systems in major markets throughout America. The technology will enable the "live broadcast to movie theaters of both 2D and 3D events such as sports and concerts," and while 50 installs are scheduled to start immediately, the other hundred should be completed by the year's end. For the full list of locales, give the read link a look.

Although it was tough to see then, the writing has been on the wall in hindsight. After Warner Bros. absorbed New Line Pictures, characterizing it as a "redundant infrastructure," it's now looking to focus less on cranking out blockbuster theatrical releases and more on pushing Blu-ray / VOD adoption. Jeff Bewkes, president and CEO of Time Warner Inc., has noted that the studio will trim its theatrical slate in half from two years ago, as it hopes to garner more profits by simply "building wider consumer adoption of Blu-ray" and expanding day-and-date VOD releases. Even more interesting was Bewkes assertion that the "expansion of Blu-ray, VOD and related improvements in electronic distribution by moving away from physical DVD would help grow filmed entertainment." After looking at a few motion picture budgets, it's pretty easy to see why distribution looks so delicious. [Disclosure: Engadget is part of the Time Warner family]

[Thanks, xdragon]

Not everyone has an incredible home cinema, but in the UK at least that won't get in the way of a premium high definition experience while watching Lewis Hamilton tear up the F1 circuit. After a test run showing the British Grand Prix last year, Odeon Cinemas is working with Formula One Management to show ten races this season in 25 locations, live and without commercial breaks. The international HD feed and Dolby Surround 5.1 audio will be in full effect, no word on how many quid, pence or pounds this costs but at least it's one way to avoid seeing Sex & the City for the 5th time this weekend.

It's been quite some time since we heard of a theater right here in the US of A opening up with 4K projectors tucked inside, but for residents of Cumming, Georgia, such a scenario is about to unfold in your town. The AMC Avenue Forsyth 12 will be the first all-digital theater in the area when it opens on May 16th, packing Sony 4K digital cinema projectors and two auditoriums with screens stretching over three stories high and 50-feet wide. In sum, the venue will boast a dozen auditoriums with over 2,220 seats with rocking-back chairs, and folks who make their way down on opening weekend will even get a free small popcorn with each (presumably overpriced) ticket. There, we made some plans for you -- hope you're available!

As if 3D really needed any more momentum, famed director James Cameron is openly backing the technology and actually shooting an upcoming film (Avatar) in 3D. In a recent interview with Variety, Cameron notes that when viewers see a scene in 3D, the "sense of reality is supercharged," and he even went so far as to say that every film he's ever done previously could have "absolutely benefited from 3D." Still, he does admit that the "economics of 3D" are unclear, and end results will depend heavily on how many theaters adopt it and how many filmmakers choose to "play in the new space." Trust us when we say that these comments are just the tip of the iceberg, so head on down to the read link for tons more insight from James on what 3D is doing (and what it can do) for cinema.

[Via AboutProjectors]

Okay, so this 3D thing is really getting serious. Nearly a month after DreamWorks Animation made known that all of its future films would be produced in 3D, Pixar has hit back with an eerily similar announcement. Reportedly, Chief Creative Officer John Lasseter proclaimed that beginning with Up in May of 2009, each Pixar production will be released in 3D alongside the traditional 2D version. We're also given a look at what to expect from the studio in the next four years, with titles such as Bolt, Rapunzel, King of the Elves and of course, Toy Story 3 all on deck. Furthermore, the first two Toy Story pictures will likely be re-released in 3D, but sadly, no timeline was given. Better get used to rockin' those face-engulfing specs, it seems.

[Via WidescreenReview, image courtesy of Moldova]

As the naysayers continue to chuckle at the idea of 3D hitting it big, fans of face-consuming glasses and eye-popping visuals have yet another venue to check out. Located at Fourways in Johannesburg, South Africa, the Nu Metro Montecasino is now home to a Barco 2k digital cinema projector. The D-Cine Premiere DP100 utilizes Texas Instrument's DLP technology and "contains a hermetically sealed DMD engine that makes maintenance easy and increases the longevity of the product." Unsurprisingly, the first screenings were Hannah Montana and U2 3D, but only time will tell if 3D mega-hits will continue to flow.

[Via AboutProjectors]

Looking to get the IMAX experience while traveling to the largest country on Planet Earth? If you can manage to hold off a bit longer (2009 to 2011), you can. Announced this week, IMAX Corporation has inked deals to get its digital projection systems into three separate venues in Russia -- one each in the cities of Sochi, Nizinhy Novogorod and Novosibirsk. Respectively, the agreements are with Luxor Cinemax, Electronika and Art Science Cinema Distribution. As it stands, IMAX theaters already operate in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Kazan, but plans are to have a total of ten open in the country by 2011.

[Via AboutProjectors, image courtesy of Pathe-IMAX]

Every so often, a technology manages to get everyone on board at just the right time in order to make a surge. Recently, that technology has been 3D cinema. After titles like Hannah Montana and U2 3D hit the scenes, the buzz swept over ShoWest in Las Vegas and has continued on with announcements that all future DreamWorks Animations productions would be made in 3D and even the NBA dipping its toes into the third-dimension during the regular season. Still, word on the street has the price of bringing a Dolby 3D Digital Cinema experience to theaters between $20,000 and $30,000, and of course, you have to convince viewers to wear those somewhat uncomfortable glasses and probably pay a premium just to sit down. Quite honestly, we still don't see 3D becoming a dominant force in tried and true theaters for years; as amazing as the technology can be when executed perfectly, there's still quite a few detractions holding it down. What say you? Can you imagine a 3D theater or two popping up in your local Cineplex? Would you even go if it happened?

[Via AboutProjectors, image courtesy of LA Times]