According to a new post on Yahoo Movies, James Cameron’s Battle Angel is already in pre-production for a 2011 release:
If the Avatar sequel does happen, it’ll be a few years before audiences can lay their 3D-glasses-enhanced eyes on it. Cameron is currently in pre-production on his next movie, Battle Angel in which he’ll use some of the same CG technology he created for Avatar. That film is slated to hit theaters in 2011.
They may have gotten the wrong end of the stick here… or maybe not. They’re not exactly a disreputable outlet but it’s just the kind of error that can easily happen.
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For the record, mastermind James Cameron want us to know that he refers to 3D as “stereo.” The director behind one of the most anticipated movies ever, AVATAR, just did an epic interview with Variety on the future of cinema (3D theatrical and 3D home viewing) and tossed in a fresh announcement about his follow-up to the 2009 sci-fi thriller. It won’t be Battle Angel (sigh). The man is on a mission, namely blasting the “3D is eye candy porn” stigma and naysayers into outer space…
Q: Right now, 3-D is pretty much being used for films that have some spectacle in them, whether it’s “Journey to the Center of the Earth” or “U2 3D”; nobody’s talking about using it for domestic dramas. But there are people wondering whether it will actually enhance the impact of character-driven stories. What are your thoughts on how 3-D changes the experience of watching actors act?
A: I plan to shoot a small dramatic film in 3-D, just to prove this point, after “Avatar.” In “Avatar,” there are a number of scenes that are straight dramatic scenes, no action, no effects. They play very well, and in fact seem to be enhanced by the stereo viewing experience. So I think this can work for the full length of a dramatic feature. However, filmmakers and studios will have to weigh the added cost of shooting in 3-D against the increased marketing value for that type of film.
Perhaps this next film will be even more revolutionary than AVATAR? I can’t fathom how There Will Be Blood or, let’s say, The Puffy Chair could benefit from the technology, but Cameron is dead set on it. Earlier on, he said he wished 300 was a 3D film, and the same goes for…Atonement. Imagine the bookcase thrust. Sorry, we’re dispelling 3D as eye-candy porn, I forgot. This makes a nice seg into Cameron’s notions on the 3D home viewing experience…
“As for 3-D in the home: The only limitation to having stereo viewing in the home is the number of titles currently available. When there is more product, the consumer electronics companies will make monitors and players. The technology exists and is straightforward. Samsung has already shipped 2 million plasma widescreens which can decode an excellent stereo image. There’s just no player to hook up to it right now.”
We’re edging a little too close to the home entertainment in Fahrenheit 451 with a 3D Cops in suburbia, no? Sounds like fun.
Discuss: Are you guys and gals ready for a world that paints all movies, even the gushy costume dramas, in 3D? Anyone bummed that Battle Angel won’t be next? Who’s taking up Cameron’s “it’s stereo, hombre,” campaign? Sexman is not.
At least 5,000 3-D systems expected to be in place by 2009. DreamWorks Animation’s Jeffrey Katzenberg expects there to be 12 to 18 3D feature films by 2010. 3-D is clearly the future of cinema, at least for the near future. With the recent announcements of Tim Burton’s Alice and Wonderland/Frankenweenie, and today’s announcement of Final Destination 4 in 3D, we’ve decided to compile a schedule for the upcoming 3D movie releases. Enjoy!
2008:
January 25th 2008: U2 3D: Performances from seven different shows of U2’s Latin America Vertigo Tour in early 2006. Previews of this film have tested incredibly well.
February 15th 2008: Fly Me to the Moon: A computer animated tale of three young houseflies stow away aboard the Apollo 11 flight to the moon. Tim Curry, Nicollette Sheridan, Christopher Lloyd, Robert Patrick and Kelly Ripa voice characters.
July 11th 2008: Journey 3-D: Visual effects supervisor turned director Eric Brevig’s take on the classic Jules Verne novel, Journey to the Center of the Earth. Brendan Fraser and Josh Hutcherson star.
October 2008: Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas: Disney has said they plan to rerelease the film around Halloween as long as it remains profitable.
Final Destination 4: Final Destination 2 director David R. Ellis returns to the franchise. Interestingly enough, Final Destination 3 was in development under the working title Final Destination 3-D, but the produces ultimately chose not to produce the movie in 3D due to costs and complications. This film might be pushed to 2009.
2009:
March 27th 2009: Monsters vs. Aliens: A reinvention of the classic ’50s monster movie. Directed by Rob Letterman (Shark Tale).
May 22nd 2009: James Cameron’s Avatar: A band of humans are pitted in a battle against a distant planet’s indigenous population. Michelle Rodriguez, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Giovanni Ribisi star. $190 million budget.
October 2009: Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas: Disney has said they plan to rerelease the film around Halloween as long as it remains profitable.
November 6th 2009: A Christmas Carol: Has not been publicly confirmed as a 3D release, but the film will use the same performance capture technique Robert Zemeckis also used in Polar Express and Beowuld. The classic retelling will star Jim Carrey as Scrooge and the three ghosts. Tom Hanks, Michael J Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Bob Hoskins are also rumored to be on board the project.
November 20th 2009: How to Train Your Dragon: Based on the 2003 children’s novel by British author Cressida Cowell, about the adventures of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III - The teenage son of a Viking chieftain, who must capture a dragon for a rite of passage.
Crood Awakening: A comedy set in the stone age directed by Chris Sanders (Lilo & Stitch)
TinTin: Directed by Peter Jackson or Steven Spielberg. The adventures of popular Belgian comic-strip hero Tintin and his faithful dog Snowy.
Tim Burton’s Alive in Wonderland: Screenplay by Linda Woolverton (The Lion King) based on the Lewis Carroll classic. Film will be combine performance-capture technology with live-action footage.
Deep Sea-quel: As the name suggests, a sequel to the popular 2006 3D documentary Deep Sea 3D. An underwater look at the diverse coastal regions of Southern Australia, New Guinea and the Indo-Pacific areas and the impact of global warming on the oceans. IMAX.
2010:
May 21st 2010: Shrek Goes Fourth: The further adventures of the giant green ogre, Shrek, living in the land of Far, Far Away. We will discover how Shrek arrived in that swamp. Not to be confused with Shrek 4-D which is a theme park attraction.
October 2010: Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas: Disney has said they plan to rerelease the film around Halloween as long as it remains profitable.
Fall 2010: Master Mind: A satirical take on superhero movies, in which a notorious villain loses his oomph after he accidentally kills his nemesis.
Untitled Tintin Sequel: Directed by Peter Jackson or Steven Spielberg. The continued adventures of popular Belgian comic-strip hero Tintin and his faithful dog Snowy.
Puss in Boots: A Shrek spinoff starring sword fighting cat voiced by Antonio Banderas. They haven’t officially announced this as a 3D title, but Jeffrey Katzenberg has said that all animated films released by Dreamworks after 2009 will be released in 3D.
2011:
TinTin 3: Directed by ????. Spielberg has said that he may direct this in collaboration with Peter Jackson, or that they might hire someone completely new. The continued adventures of popular Belgian comic-strip hero Tintin and his faithful dog Snowy.
In Development:
Tim Burton’s Frankenweenie: A feature length remake of his 1984 short film. A parody of the 1931 Frankenstein film. When young Victor’s pet dog Sparky is hit by a car, Victor decides to bring him back to life the only way he knows how. But when the bolt-necked “monster” wreaks havoc and terror in the hearts of Victor’s neighbors, he has to convince them and his parents, that despite his appearance, Sparky’s still the good loyal friend he’s always been. Burton will shoot the film using stop-motion animation.
Battle Angel: James Cameron’s adaptation of the graphic novel about a female cyborg who is rescued from the scrapheap by a scientist, who becomes her surrogate father.
Star Wars: George Lucas has announced plans to remaster all of the Star Wars films in 3D. When this might actually happen is anyones guess.
All dates subject to change. Have we missed any upcoming big 3D releases? E-Mail Us.
photo credit: macromaven
