James Cameron To Film 3D Movie On Mars?

Yes, you read the headline correctly — filmmaker James Cameron plans to shoot a 3D movie on the planet Mars. I'm not talking just about Mars, but actually on the surface of the not-so-distant planet. Okay, you caught me, it's not exactly as simple as that.

It was revealed today that the next generation Mars rover will be equipped with a high-resolution color 3-D video camera. Director James Cameron reportedly lobbied for NASA to include the technology in the planned 2011 launch of the rover named Curiosity.

According to the Pasadena Star News, Cameron met directly with NASA administrator Charles Bolden in January to convince him to buy a 3-D camera for the mission. The camera will sit on top of the rover's mast and record 10-frames per second. Cameron is now officially listed as a "co-investigator" for the Curiosity camera team.

While it is not said specifically in the article, speculation is that Cameron may use the footage in a future Mars documentary.

"It's a very ambitious mission. It's a very exciting mission," Cameron said. "(The scientists are) going to answer a lot of really important questions about the previous and potential future habitability of Mars."

The article also says that "Cameron believes will help generate more excitement about Curiosity's work." They are unsure if the camera will be built in time for the launch, but San Diego-based Malin Space Science Systems are trying to complete the design.