Old hits take on a new dimension
This year has been full of big-budget 3-D productions; so much so that big production houses are now considering rereleasing past super-hits in 3-D.
On Sept. 12, a four-minute 3-D preview of the “Danger Zone” aerial flight sequence from the 1986 classic Top Gun was screened at the International Broadcasting Convention (IBC) in Amsterdam. It is rumored the whole movie could be re–released in 3-D in early 2012. Disney’s Lion King will be released Sept. 16 in a 3-D avatar. In May, Paramount Pictures announced Titanic will be-released in 3-D next year to mark the 100th anniversary of the ship’s doomed voyage.
The current year has already seen a host of 3-D movies, such as Kung Fu Panda 2, Green Lantern, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Pirates of the Caribbean: on Stranger Tides and Rio.
So it should come as no surprise that producers are now turning their attention to big hits from the past to rerelease them in 3-D. The growing trend amongst big production houses to indulge in 3-D is no doubt reflective of the desire of these companies to use the best available technologies to produce the best possible movies.
While old movies are getting touched up, new movies of existing movie franchises are also being made in 3-D. Sony Pictures, on the other hand, has taken it to another level. On Sept. 12, the company announced the third movie in the Men in Black franchise will also be released in IMAX 3-D. The movie is reportedly being made at a budget of more than $200 million and is slated for release May 25, 2012.