The Step Up 3D Aftermath

After its $15.5 million opening weekend, Step Up 3D has become a conundrum. It's puzzling. The first two movies in this trilogy made $20.7 million in 2006 and $18.9 million in 2008 for their respective opening weekends. Now, ticket prices are higher with 3D screens. So does that mean fewer people went to see Step Up 3D this past weekend? It appears so. Questions are floating around about if the mainstream audience's appetite for dance on screen is dwindling.

More than any other movie in the trilogy, Step Up 3D had a remarkable marketing push. Jon M. Chu and his team gathered momentum from the viral videos of ACDC Crew vs M&M Cru in 2008. Then, there were the LXD performances on So You Think You Can Dance, The Ellen Show, the TED conference, and the Oscars. The LXD series premiered on Hulu in July. All of these events should have built a dedicated audience for Step Up 3D. So why didn't they show up at movie theaters this past weekend?

In Hollywood circles, the movie's soft opening weekend would be considered not-so-good news. If the film was a co-financed production between Walt Disney Pictures and Summit Entertainment at $30-35 million, then it's possible that the film could break even further down the line. But it could become a point of reference for studio executives to not greenlight more dance films. That doesn't bode well for street dancers who are pursuing careers in the film industry.

What Jon M. Chu and his creative team have accomplished is remarkable though. More than any other movement in recent entertainment history, this group of filmmakers and dancers have invaded the media outlets in full force. They've fought valiantly to get dancers in the spotlight and that is admirable. There have been few other filmmakers who have spoken up for dancers or championed their cause.

There could be several reasons why moviegoers didn't come out to see Step Up 3D. Higher ticket prices. The need to save money. Overexposure of dance onscreen. Or it could have been a combination of these reasons. The disturbing realization though is if we're entering a new season when street dancing is no longer seen as marketable entertainment. Will audiences turn their backs on seeing the way dance is portrayed on screen? Will they demand more well-written and well-acted dance films? These are discouraging questions that we must face as a community.

The future is uncertain. For the dancers in Step Up 3D, they will likely continue to book gigs and work in the entertainment industry. Perhaps the film will open up doors for them to be flown out around the world to teach workshops. So much good will come out this. But the question remains - will there be more mainstream dance films greenlit for production in the near future?