Cineplex Entertainment will install another 175 digital 3D systems in its theaters by next December, following a long-term deal with equipment maker RealD. The move comes on the heels of well-received 3Ds Journey to the Center of the Earth and the recent Hannah Montana concert film, with an eye on similar releases now in the works.

"There is an exciting slate of 3D films scheduled to release during the next 18 months," said Cineplex head Ellis Jacob on Tuesday, nodding to Monsters vs. Aliens, due from DreamWorks in 2009. Others in the works include Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs from 20th Century Fox and the sci-fi Avatar from director James Cameron.

Cineplex currently has 41 systems by RealD installed and is scheduled to begin adding others later this year, pending the chain's conversion from conventional projectors to digital, which has yet to be formally announced.

The need to bring in more digital 3D projectors was underscored by Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour, according to a company spokesperson. Cineplex was only able to show the popular film in Ontario, prompting grumbles from consumers elsewhere in the country.

The chain has 1,337 screens across the country, and looks to have 20% of them ready for digital 3D by the end of the RealD rollout. All of Cineplex's 3D projectors come from the California-based company, with the exception of the conventional 3Ds made by Imax. Its 2D digital systems are a mix of Christie, Technicolor, Barco and NEC.