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Americans may be turning their backs on 3D movies.

The new Pirates of the Caribbean movie, On Stranger Tides, has done well at the box office, in the US and elsewhere, but the 3D version has taken less money than other recent releases have.

According to analyst Richard Greenfield, of New York investment house BTIG Research, tickets for 3D screenings have contributed 38 per cent of Pirates total ticket sales.

This time last year, Shrek Forever After and How to Train Your Dragon drew, respectively, 54 per cent and 57 per cent of their total ticket sales from 3D performances, he said, Home Media Magazine reports.

Pirates in 3D has been seen by nearly 851 viewers per screen, down 32.6 per cent from 1129 viewers per screen for Shrek and down 23.3 per cent from 1049 viewers for Dragon, presumably over comparable periods of time.

Viewer fatigue with the Pirates franchise? That may be part of it, but it's also worth noting that, said Greenfield, that it's the kind of flick you'd expect to do well in 3D - thanks to fanboy interest - whereas family movies in 3D have less appeal, largely because nippers don't like wearing 3D specs.

If a strong 3D contender is performing less well than movies with a built-in barrier to 3D ticket sales, reckons Greenfield, it's a clear sign that the novelty is wearing off. ®

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