3D Sends Movie Tickets Soaring to $20

Movie theaters are quietly jacking their prices into heretofore unknown territory, with several in Manhattan charging $20 per adult ticket to IMAX 3D showings of Shrek Forever After. The increase comes just eight weeks after the last round of price hikes, which saw IMAX and 3D tickets rise as much as 26%. Consumers have been so hungry for 3D flicks, that theaters feel obliged to test how much they'll pay.

But one media consultant thinks the move could backfire, with $20 standing as a major psychological barrier. “With the state of the economy remaining questionable, we worry pricing is simply moving up too quickly,” he tells the Wall Street Journal. “The danger is scaring customers away from movie theaters.” (More movie theaters stories.)