“Titanic” to Return to Theaters in 3D
Jeffrey Katzenberg was right: 3D is the future of movies. USA Today interviewed Avatar director James Cameron about this new era of filmmaking, and the director revealed plans to bring a certain unsinkable hit back to theaters in 2012, this time in 3D: Titanic.
Because of the success of Avatar — and now Alice in Wonderland — studios are scrambling to release as many big titles in 3D as possible. Thanks to computer technology, 3D effects can be added to films shot without the use of 3D-specific cameras like Cameron used for Avatar. This includes Warner Bros.’s upcoming Clash of the Titans, a film that was not shot in 3D, but is being converted to 3D over an eight-week period in hopes of capturing more attention (and higher ticket sales) at the box office.
While Cameron was critical of how little time some of these conversions were taking, he wasn’t opposed to the idea that old titles be converted — as long as the original director is the one who oversees the process.
From the interview:
“They’re converting Clash of the Titans in eight weeks. But I’m guessing six months to a year to do it right. We’re targeting spring of 2012 for the release (of a 3D version of Titanic), which is the 100 year anniversary of the sailing of the ship.”
Titanic, for its time, was actually a quite technically advanced film. Many of the interior and exterior shots were completely computer-generated, as was much of the water in the film. That offers up some better options when re-processing the film for 3D because artists are working with digital imagery — not to mention the improvements in visual effects and CGI that have taken place in the ensuing 13 years.
Cameron also discusses 3D television sets and plans for Avatar in Blu-ray and in 3D.
What do you think about technology retrofitting classic films into 3D — or 2.8D as Cameron calls it? Let us know!
Reviews: Blu
Tags: 3D, 3D TV, Film, james cameron, Movies, titanic
“Titanic” to Return to Theaters in 3D
Jeffrey Katzenberg was right: 3D is the future of movies. USA Today interviewed Avatar director James Cameron about this new era of filmmaking, and the director revealed plans to bring a certain unsinkable hit back to theaters in 2012, this time in 3D: Titanic.
Because of the success of Avatar — and now Alice in Wonderland — studios are scrambling to release as many big titles in 3D as possible. Thanks to computer technology, 3D effects can be added to films shot without the use of 3D-specific cameras like Cameron used for Avatar. This includes Warner Bros.’s upcoming Clash of the Titans, a film that was not shot in 3D, but is being converted to 3D over an eight-week period in hopes of capturing more attention (and higher ticket sales) at the box office.
While Cameron was critical of how little time some of these conversions were taking, he wasn’t opposed to the idea that old titles be converted — as long as the original director is the one who oversees the process.
From the interview:
“They’re converting Clash of the Titans in eight weeks. But I’m guessing six months to a year to do it right. We’re targeting spring of 2012 for the release (of a 3D version of Titanic), which is the 100 year anniversary of the sailing of the ship.”
Titanic, for its time, was actually a quite technically advanced film. Many of the interior and exterior shots were completely computer-generated, as was much of the water in the film. That offers up some better options when re-processing the film for 3D because artists are working with digital imagery — not to mention the improvements in visual effects and CGI that have taken place in the ensuing 13 years.
Cameron also discusses 3D television sets and plans for Avatar in Blu-ray and in 3D.
What do you think about technology retrofitting classic films into 3D — or 2.8D as Cameron calls it? Let us know!
Tags: 3D, 3D TV, Film, james cameron, Movies, titanic
‘Predators’ Preview Debuts at SXSW
SXSWi (the South by Southwest Interactive conference) is certainly our favorite track of the SXSW experience, but it’s not the only portion of the festival taking place this weekend. Film goers are out en masse in Austin too, and directors — both big and small — are using the event to showcase their films. Or in some cases, using it to show off preview of their films.
Texas-native Robert Rodriguez (whose Troublemaker Studios is based in Austin) showcased the first preview of July’s Predators, his newest movie, last night.
Predators stars Adrien Brody and Topher Grace in what is essentially a reboot of the storied franchise. Rodriguez, a fan of the original series, produced and contributed to the screenplay. Fox already has a Predators website, complete with Twitter and Facebook integration.
The preview that was shown at SXSW is already online and you can watch it here:
Knowing Rodriguez’s love of digital filmmaking and his Predator fandom, we fully expect to see a digital — possibly even viral — campaign for the film, especially as we edge closer to release. The full trailer will be online on March 18th.
So, are you excited about Predators? Let us know in the comments!
Tags: movie trailers, Movies, Predators, sxsw, sxsw2010, sxswi
PlayStation First to Sell HD Movies from All Major Studios
Sony Computer Entertainment is proudly shouting “FIRST” (YouTube commenter-style) with an announcement that claims the PlayStation Network is the first online service to sell high-definition movies from all the major movie studios: Universal, 20th Century Fox, Paramount, Walt Disney, Warner Bros and, of course, Sony Pictures.
Some of the content has been around for a while — for example, NBC Universal videos debuted on the PlayStation Network one year ago tomorrow — but PlayStation owners have access to a few new movies today.
They include Up, G-Force, Earth, Star Trek, Paranormal Activity, Zoolander, This Is It, 2012, District 9, Zombieland, Inglourious Basterds, Couples Retreat, Public Enemies, The Hangover, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and The Wizard of Oz.
All the studios but Fox are represented there; Fox’s new contributions (Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, Jennifer’s Body and Fantastic Mr. Fox) will debut on the PSN this Saturday, March 13.
PSN competitors like Apple’s iTunes Store and Apple TV set-top box and Microsoft’s Zune Marketplace and Xbox 360 console offer formidable libraries of on-demand video from the major movie studios, but Sony is boasting that it’s the only one to offer HD content from all of them.
In a time when the market is terribly fragmented between so many different formats and services, posting HD content from every major studio is actually a notable feat. Sony will have more firsts on the horizon, too; the PlayStation 3 is going 3D soon.
Apple and Microsoft have had their own opportunities to say “first,” though. The Xbox 360 streamed Netflix movies first, and both Apple’s iTunes Store and the Xbox 360 offered movie downloads and rentals before the PlayStation Network did.
Reviews: harry potter, iTunes, zombieland
Tags: 20th century fox, Film, hd, Movies, nbc universal, paramount pictures, playstation 3, playstation network, playstation portable, PS3, PSP, sony, Sony Pictures, sony playstation 3, Sony PSP, video games, walt disney pictures, warner bros
“Tron Legacy” Trailer Featuring Jeff Bridges Hits the Web [VIDEO]
New Academy Award-winner Jeff Bridges reprises his role as arcade regular and computer programming genius Flynn in the trailer for Tron Legacy, which just made its official web debut today. The film is a long-anticipated sequel to the 1980s geek classic Tron, and this is the first full-length trailer.
The film (or at least the trailer) focuses on Flynn’s son, who goes looking for his father in the now-abandoned arcade that was the launching point for the first movie, only to find him in a more technologically advanced version of the fantastic and dangerous virtual world introduced in the first film (which won much acclaim for special effects).
Since the franchise has always been about the latest in filmmaking technology, Tron Legacy will be presented in 3D. A 3D trailer actually premiered before select showings of Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland. Tron fans traveled from distant cities to see it. The movie is also trending on Twitter right now, so we think this has the makings of a hit.
Disney plans to release Tron Legacy on December 17, believing that it will draw a big audience during the lucrative holiday season.
We know many Mashable readers are going to be interested in seeing this film, but does it have any chance of living up to the iconic original? Watch the trailer and leave a comment letting us and other readers know what you think.
Watch the Trailer
Reviews: Mashable
Tags: 3D, disney, Film, jeff bridges, Movies, trailer, tron legacy, video
“Alice in Wonderland” Has Record-Breaking Opening Weekend
Entertainment Weekly reports that Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland drew almost $40 million in box office revenue on Friday, setting the stage for what will likely have been a $100 million (or more) weekend. The film will definitely beat the previous record for this weekend of the year — $70 million, set by 300 in 2006.
The film is notable as Burton’s first major 3D release. Despite the backlash from filmgoing traditionalists, it looks like 3D is drawing audiences. (Also notable: Some scenes were simply filmed in 2D and converted to 3D later, which some argue is not true 3D.)
Last year, James Cameron’s Avatar shattered all previous box office records to become the highest-earning film of all time by earning nearly $2 billion. 3D technology was one of Avatar’s biggest draws. Now Alice’s performance indicates that Avatar’s success wasn’t totally an anomaly for 3D movies.
Both films were also heavily promoted with social media. Avatar’s director and stars appeared in a webcast Q&A hosted by Facebook and MTV. Alice had a similar event which drew 400,000 viewers on MySpace.
Unlike Avatar, Alice has received mostly lukewarm critical responses. We’ll have to keep our ears to the ground to see if the circulation of critics’ negative reviews and mediocre buzz on Twitter, Facebook and blogs cause a big dip in ticket sales next weekend.
Tags: 3D, Alice in Wonderland, box office, disney, Film, Movies, tim burton
Oscars Live Video: Watch the Academy Awards Streaming Online
The Oscars will air on ABC this Sunday, March 7, but if you’re really into movies (or at least celebrities and fashion), you’ll want to watch the red carpet and backstage coverage on the web too. To that end, we’ve found three live video streams that will accompany the awards ceremony.
There aren’t as many choices as there were last year, but we do have quality ones for backstage access and red carpet coverage. Though neither of them are streams of the actual ceremony, the appeal for a lot of folks is that peek into the lives of Hollywood’s top celebrities, and these livestreams will be at least as interesting as the ceremony itself to gossip and fashion addicts.
While you’re waiting for these streams to commence, you can also turn to social media to see who’s leading in Oscar buzz. If you know of any other great ways to keep up with the Oscars on the web, let us know in the comments.
Oscar.com and Facebook
ABC will do a live red carpet show from 3:00 to 5:00 PM PT (6:00 to 8:00 PM ET) at Oscar.com. ABC’s reporters will ask arriving celebrities questions submitted by Facebook users, and you’ll be able to chat with your Facebook friends about the event as it happens.
We’ve seen similar setups before. Facebook was integrated with CNN Live’s coverage of both Barack Obama’s inauguration and the Michael Jackson memorial service in 2009.
The coverage will continue with backstage cameras after the ceremony starts. There will also be a “Thank You Cam” on which award winners will share extended comments and thanks after they’ve left the stage. That way, even if they’re driven off stage by a swelling orchestra warning them that they’re in danger of cutting into advertiser time, they’ll still have a chance to thank everyone they know!
There’s no embeddable video yet, but if Oscar.com adds one we’ll add it to this page.
The Associated Press and Livestream
Watch live streaming video from theoscars at livestream.com
