Hollywood is hoping 3-D might be the next big thing for big screens, an “opportunity to re-energize our audiences worldwide about the film medium,” one exec tells the Associated Press.

Meanwhile, 3M is looking to bring the effect to the small screen. The Maplewood company is partnering with Toshiba to develop 3-D screens that don’t require glasses. They showed off the technology at last week’s International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

The 3-D effect comes from a thin film made by 3-M. The film beams light selectively to the right and left eyes of viewers, the AP reports. The film goes inside the screen and is invisible to viewers. The 3-D effect can be turned on and off.

3M senior technology manager William Bryan tells the AP that 3-D has a chicken-and-egg problem: Content-makers are hesitant to make material in 3-D when the screens are still scarce.