First “Titanic,” now “Star Wars” is getting the 3D conversion treatment — all six movies in the saga.
And like “Titanic,” the first episode of Star Wars, “The Phantom Menace,” is scheduled for theatrical release in 2012, according to Lucasfilm (although lately sources have begun to suggest that “Titanic” could be moved up to 2011).
That will follow the first HiDef release of all six Star Wars movies on Blu-ray Disc in fall 2011. And it will likely precede the 3D Blu-ray release of each movie.
<Take 2 seconds to click on survey right side of this page: Star Wars 3D great thing, abomination, or only OK for most recent three episodes?>
Various companies have been doing trial 3D conversions of “Star Wars” for several years and George Lucas expressed public interest in 3D Star Wars after “Avatar” last year.
Now Lucasfilm is announcing it is a reality. Though they are not saying the time interval between the six films, The Hollywood Reporter says they will be released annually followed by the home 3D version of each, though it seems hard to imagine that Lucas and distributor Twentieth Century Fox would stretch the releases out that long.
Fox just re-released “Avatar” in a special theatrical edition and is bringing a special 2D edition to “Blu-ray” this fall along with a 3D Blu-ray version of the original movie available only with the purchase of Panasonic 3D electronics.
The 3D conversion of “Phantom Menace” is being handled by vendors outside Lucasfilm but is being overseen by Industrial Light and Magic and its visual effects supervisor John Knoll, according to USA Today.
— By Scott Hettrick
Scott… The announcement (various websites) did not say the “entire” 6-film series in 2012… just that they will first appear in 2012, beginning with THE PHANTOM MENACE. Lucas and Fox will probably release the films over two years (or three), followed by Blu-ray 3D versions thereafter. But releasing all 6 films in one year (2012)-? Won’t happen, and none of the news reports have suggested or confirmed a single year for all 6 in theaters.
Joseph, you are correct. You probably only read the headline and not the first sentence of my story which says exactly what you point out: “the first episode of Star Wars, “The Phantom Menace,” is scheduled for theatrical release in 2012.” And the fourth sentence in my story explains further the interval speculation: “Though they are not saying the time interval between the six films, The Hollywood Reporter says they will be released annually followed by the home 3D version of each…”
Couldn’t get all that in headline. But thanks for keeping me on my toes.
Scott