Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland” is the first 3-D release since James Cameron’s “Avatar” opened to box-office numbers that made had every studio exec in Hollywood crying, “We need our own 3-D mega-blockbuster!” Luckily, Disney had long planned “Alice” as a 3-D release, and Burton didn’t have to submit his film to the last-minute addition of a third dimension, as “Clash of the Titans” filmmakers had to earlier this year.

So with 3-D effects, and the higher ticket prices that come as a result, in place — plus Johnny Depp in a starring role as the Mad Hatter — “Alice” is well positioned for a huge opening weekend. But how will it compare to past collaborations from Burton and Depp? Will “Alice,” the duo’s seventh big-screen outing, become their most profitable ever?

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