Though the realization has been slow, it appears that IMAX is starting to come to terms with the fact that that their 3D showings are not only NOT the reason for declining ticket sales, but is actually an asset of theirs! After almost completely ignoring it for "Black Panther," "A Wrinkle in Time," and "Tomb Raider" (the latter of which I only found playing in Mexico for some reason), 3D is back with a vengeance in IMAX. Granted, it's not a complete return. There are still a healthy amount of 2D showings, but what is promising is that 3D makes up the majority of the show times. Heck, at the Universal Citywalk and Esquire IMAX have NO 2D showings at all (which is a nice change considering 3D really shines on those screens)! I'm not saying 3D will completely take over again as I do believe there is a good number of people who want IMAX 2D presentations, but I think the company is having a hard time justifying 2D only screens when 3D fans are their most dedicated paying customers.
Not that "Tomb Raider" and "A Wrinkle in Time" were huge hits or anything, but how frustrating was it for them to realize most of their fans passed on seeing those movies in IMAX because they wanted to see them in 3D? I mean, RPX and XD are nowhere near as big, but since they had 3D versions...well, that's better than nothing right? If the movie is going to be in 2D, I think most would rather use their MoviePass and see it on a standard screen (then they aren't paying anything). What's more, the official website confirms that "Ready Player One" and "Avengers: Infinity War" ARE going to have 3D showings in IMAX (the latter is sort of required though, being the first Hollywood movie in history to be fully filmed with IMAX 3D cameras)! I'm seeing "Pacific Rim: Pacific" in IMAX 3D today. I'm very grateful because while the first movie wasn't great per se, it was an excellent theater experience, and the excellent IMAX 3D format was a major reason for that.
Hopefully I'll get something similar here.
I rarely go to movies any more, even to feed my 3D obsession. I prefer to purchase the 3D movie (even with having to buy internationally) and watch them at home in the comfort of my own home theater. I do make a few exceptions, such as Star Wars movies, and this will probably be one of those exceptions. They are showing it locally in both Real 3D and IMAX 3D so I'll see it in IMAX 3D. I will still buy the 3D movie to watch as many times as I want on my 145" screen as well.