Showing posts with label 3D. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 3D. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Disney bringing back 'Nemo,' 'Mermaid,' and more in 3D

Hot on the heels of a stellar box office run for The Lion King's re-release in 3D, Disney has announced its plans to do the exact same thing with Finding Nemo, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Monsters, Inc., releasing them over the next two years.

Rich Ross, chairman of Walt Disney Studios, says that:

Great stories and great characters are timeless, and at Disney we're fortunate to have a treasure trove of both. We are thrilled to be able to give audiences of all ages the chance to experience these beloved tales in an exciting new way with 3D - and in the case of younger generations, for the first time on the big screen.
Although you know how I feel about 3D, I'm very excited to see these four films in the theater once more. I saw Lion King twice and loved every single giant-screened, surround-sounded, vibrant-colored, popcorn-eating second of it.

But, then again, I saw the 2D version.

Regardless of your opinion on 3D, this is exciting news. It's apparent that Disney's chief goal here is to make money and not necessarily satisfy us diehard fans, but you can't rally blame them. After Simba roared in at $80 million almost two decades after he first bowed at the theater, you can't help but think about the potential there is in the re-release market.

Let the countdown to reliving the fond films of yesteryear begin!

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Sunday, September 18, 2011

'Lion King' royally kicks box office's butt

The first of two weekends that The Lion King is seeing the big screen again, it made a killing at the box office. The most popular film of the weekend by far, it made almost $30 million at 2,330 theaters, beating out Contagion which didn't even make half that much.

This may seem surprising, until you realize that The Lion King is the highest-grossing hand-drawn animated film of all time, with a $600 million gross (after ticket inflation).

If you went and saw it this weekend, I commend you. If you didn't, go and see it. You only have one week left!

And, heck, if you already saw it, go ahead and see it again. You know you want to.

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Thursday, May 26, 2011

Simba coming at you in Three Dimensions!


/Film and The Hollywood Reporter both report that The Lion King, one of the most beloved Disney films of all-time, will be re-released theatrically . . . in 3D. The rumor mill is a-buzzing that the re-release will be on September 6 of this year to prep the world for the 3D Blu-ray release of the film on October 4.


You can find the 3D Blu-ray trailer at Yahoo! here. The four-disc Diamond Edition can be pre-ordered from Amazon right here.

This is both wonderful and goosebump-enducing. I grew up loving The Lion King--it is one of the defining films of my childhood. For that reason, I am absolutely ecstatic that I am going to get to see "Hakuna Matata" performed on the big screen!

However, the fact that it is going to be in 3D is not only unfortunate, but stupid and lame. I mean, seriously, guys. It's a 2D film, and it should stay that way. When I read a Boston Globe article the other day discussing how 3D films were ruining 2D films due to the misuse of 3D lenses in theaters, I should have remembered that it could be a lot worse. They could turn 2D movies into 3D movies in the convoluted post-conversion process. To me, it doesn't even make sense. But all of my loyal readers out there will know where I stand in the whole "3D opinion spectrum."

Why can't they just re-release great films to theaters, untouched, so we can enjoy them? Why must they muss it all up with their multiple dimensions?

Developing . . .

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Wednesday, January 26, 2011

DreamWorks epic to star Hugh Jackman, Chris Pine

It has just been revealed by DreamWorks Animation that their upcoming 3D epic, Rise of the Guardians, will star Chris Pine, Hugh Jackman, Jude Law, Alec Baldwin, and Isla Fisher.

Peter Ramsey will be directing the series, along with co-director William Joyce who is the author of the upcoming series of novels The Guardians of Childhood, upon which the film will be based. Also worth mentioning is the fact that everybody's favorite ex-Hobbit director, Mr. Guillermo Del Toro is on as executive producer!

The screenplay "follows a group of heroic childhood legends, each with extraordinary abilities. When Pitch (Law), an evil spirit akin to the Boogeyman, lays down the gauntlet to take over the world, the immortal Guardians must join forces for the first time to protect the hopes, beliefs and imagination of children all over the world."

When announced in 2009, DiCaprio was set to voice Jack Frost, which has been taken over by Star Trek star Chris Pine. Other character's include the Easter Bunny (Jackman), Santa Claus (Baldwin), and the Tooth Fairy (Fisher).

This plot sounds rather cliché (and is just begging for awful jokes), and you know how I feel about 3D. Also, the star-studded cast is never a good sign--when a studio packs stars on the screen it usually always means they're compensating for something. That something is usually story. Still, I won't pass judgment on this project just yet; that isn't fair.

However, I will pass judgment once it's released on November 21, 2012.

(But, honestly, I'm way more looking forward to DW's Peabody.)

Source: Variety

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Sunday, November 28, 2010

Interview with Pixar's 3D Director

Head on over to Collider and watch a video interview with Pixar's 3D director Bob Whitehill. While I, as you know, despise 3D, it is an excellent interview that reveals some new tidbits about TS3, Cars 2, and even Brave. Very interesting.

Watch it here.

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Tuesday, September 28, 2010

'Star Wars' in 3D Coming Soon (And Why It's A Great Thing)

LucasFilm announced today that they are currently preparing all six Star Wars films for re-release into theaters under the popular 3D format. They will begin by releasing Episode I: The Phantom Menace in 2012 to select theaters worldwide.

If you read Disney, etc. regularly, you'll know that I hate 3D. I despise it. 3D is the scourge of the entertainment industry and should be stopped at all costs. It is an empty gimmick void of any reason to exist. However, surprisingly enough, I am not completely against the idea of LucasFilm re-releasing the complete Star Wars saga in 3D. I am not against seeing Anakin in 3-Dimensions for two main reasons: it will help kill 3D once and for all, and I want to see Star Wars in theaters again.

3D is a conspiracy, contrived by greedy studio heads who will do anything to pinch a few of their precious pennies. Here's how: Films screened in the 3D format require digital projectors. Digital projectors save studios thousands of dollars per theater due to the costly production, storage, and transportation of digital's alternative: old-fashioned film reels. By pushing 3D, the studios are hoping to get more and more theaters to install these cheap digital projectors, thus saving the studios millions.

When Star Wars gets released back into theaters, it is going to be an epic event. Every theater is going to want to cash in on the world's most popular film franchise. If any theater out there was still on the fence about installing a digital projector, this will make up their mind. By releasing six 3D films of this massive proportion, LucasFilm has successfully killed 3D. By pushing all theaters to install these digital projectors, they are effectively removing the need for future 3D films.

In addition to its killing 3D, Star Wars' re-release is exciting because I want to see the saga on the big screen again, no matter how many dimensions it's in. I love Star Wars, and thinking about settling down in the dark, cool theater with my bucket of popcorn (and annoying 3D glasses) to watch one of the greatest film franchises ever made makes me very excited indeed.

Stay tuned for more Star Wars and 3D news...

Source: Variety

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Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Bringing 'Ratatouille' to a Whole New Dimension


I am happy to say that Pixar's eighth masterpiece, Ratatouille, will be theatrically re-released. Unfortunately, it will be re-released in the 3D format. Bob Whitehill, the stereoscoipc supervisor at Pixar, revealed this during a recent discussion based on his 3D work for Toy Story 3:

Ratatouille is one that we’re exploring doing [3D conversion on] and Brad Bird is very open to some changes, you know, some very subtle changes but slight reframings. If a character’s reaching forward and a pinky goes off screen, we’ll adjust the camera and the character a little bit to have the hand on. So that said, if the director’s open to minor modifications on a library title then that’s wonderful and we’re really excited about doing that.
You can see his complete video interview at the UK movie blog HeyUGuys here.

This is such great and awful news. I love that I'm going to get to see Ratatouille again on the big screen, but I hate that it will be in 3D. The studios have manufactured this 3D phenomenon in order to push their own agendas. I had thought that Disney and Pixar would not sink so low as to join them, but it appears that they are now wholeheartedly embracing the Great 3D Scam of the Early 2000s.

Oh well, like I said, at least we'll all get to see Remy up on the silver screen once more.

Don't expect to see this being released for at least a few more years due to the timely 3D conversion process.

Source: HeyUGuys

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Friday, April 30, 2010

A Comprehensive List of Why 3D Should Go Away

Roger Ebert, like me, is thoroughly against the idea of 3D films. I have posted several times on the subject, and, although I don't want to appear as if I am ranting or whining, Mr. Ebert has released a great list of why 3D is so bad for the motion picture industry and audiences everywhere:

1. It's the waste of a dimension.
2. It adds nothing to the experience.
3. It can be a distraction.
4. It can create nausea and headaches.
5. Have you noticed that 3-D seems a little dim?
6. It's an excuse to buy new digital projectors.
7. Theaters slap on a surcharge of $5 to $7.50 for 3-D.
8. I cannot imagine a serious drama in 3-D (neither can I).
9. Whenever Hollywood has felt threatened, it has turned to technology to save the day.

Amen, brother! Check out a list of explanations for each of his excellent points at Newsweek.

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Saturday, April 10, 2010

Link Roundup: 3D Pirates, 'Mission: Incredible,' and More


There has been a recent flood of Disney- and Pixar-related news, so I've decided to do a brief post composed of links to send you off to consume all of the latest and greatest news from the world of Disney.

First, Blue Sky Disney is reporting that the new Pirates film, On Stranger Tides, will be filmed and released in 3D. This is not very surprising, since almost all tentpole films for the near future are being released in 3D. I'm not a big fan, but that's what seems to be happening...


Next, Blue Sky is providing further speculation regarding Brad Bird's live-action directorial debut on the next installment of Mission: Impossible. I can only hope that he's right; I would love to see Bird take on a big budget, live-action film.


While we're on the Pixar side of things, the summer issue of D23 will feature three different Toy Story 3 covers, with Buzz, Woody, or Jessie. The magazine will also "take readers to the sets and story rooms where Toy Story 3 was created".


Finally, watch this clip from Toy Story 3. It is an extended scene from the trailer of when Barbie meets Ken.

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Saturday, March 27, 2010

A Three-Dimensional Mess


If you regularly read Disney, etc., you know that I hate 3D. It is a cheap gimmick created by movie studios to reduce their costs. It doesn't make movies better, but it makes them more expensive to make and to see, and it is just an empty trick.

Well, it would appear that the movie studios are still pushing hard on their 3D con, because there is currently an overcrowding problem with 3D films. Even though 3D was created to make theaters install more digital projectors, they haven't yet. Many movie theaters only have two or three digital projectors. This doesn't seem like a problem, but it is. Currently, Alice in Wonderland and How to Train Your Dragon are the big ticket items of the 3D world. There's probably one 3D screen for each at every theater in America due to the lack of digital projectors. However, Clash of the Titans in 3D will come out next week. Theaters are still making money on Alice and How to Train Your Dragon, but Clash of the Titans is a potential blockbuster that they won't want to ignore. What is a theater to do?

Even though I hate 3D, I wish that theaters would hurry up and install more digital projectors. That way, studios will cease shoving 3D down our throats since their con will be complete and their costs will be significantly reduced (digital projectors mean that studios don't need to produce, store, or ship film reels).

Only time will tell us the future of 3D, but I think it looks rather bleak for the cheap gimmick. However, it will continue going strong until theaters address this overcrowding problem and install more digital projectors, but that is exactly what the studio execs want to happen. What an interesting and unfortunate three-dimensional mess.

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Monday, March 22, 2010

Some Un-Disney Links


Although my passions lie with Disney and Pixar, you may have noticed that I love all movies. And since the Disney news has been quiet lately, I thought I'd give you some links to update you about the part of Hollywood without Mouse ears:

Sony's animation division has announced that they are planning a 3D, CG version of the classic, spinach-lovin' Popeye. Producer Avi Arad is heading the project, after turning the Spider-Man franchise into a "powerhouse" for the studio.


The long and complicated casting search for the title role of The First Avenger: Captain America is finally over. After all of the possible stars, including The Office's John Krasinski, Speed Racer's Scott Porter, and Channing Tatum, they have finally settled on Chris Evans (Fantastic 4, Push). It is rumored that his contract if for a staggering 9 picture option and a quite un-staggering $300,000. Stay tuned for more details on all of the upcoming Marvel films.


While we're on the subject of casting action movies, the cast of Transformers 3 is starting to take shape. The huge Michael Bay production will, surprisingly, feature John Malkovich and Frances McDormand.



Finally watch the above trailer. I don't have much more to say about that; Sylvain Chomet's The Illusionist looks great.

That's all the news there is now. Keep checking back for more movie, Disney, and Pixar news.

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Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Burton to Creep-ify 'Sleeping Beauty' Next


Alice in Wonderland, a new take on a classic novel and a Disney animated film, will be released later this year. It is being directed, as you probably know, by the visionary Tim Burton. But what you may not know is that Burton is also set to direct a "re-telling" of a different classic Disney film, Sleeping Beauty. It will be produced by Disney and will be titled Maleficent. It will focus on the story of the antagonist rather than the heroine Aurora. Just like the upcoming Alice in Wonderland, Maleficent will be live-action (and will almost definitely be in 3D), and, of course, will be creepy.

There are currently no details relating to a release date or any other members of the cast (but it is a sure bet that Depp will be in it--possibly as Prince Philip?). We will know soon enough...

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Friday, December 18, 2009

'Toy Story 3' to be released in IMAX 3D

In a press release this morning, it was announced that Pixar's next film, Toy Story 3, will be released in the glorious IMAX 3D format. The IMAX system features "unparalleled image and sound." The film will remastered using the proprietary IMAX DMR technology. This will be the fourth film released by Disney to come out in IMAX theaters, but the very first for Pixar. Greg Foster, Chairman and President of IMAX Filmed Entertainment, said that "Pixar's beloved films have changed the way people go to the movies. IMAX is proud to be working with both Pixar and Disney, who like IMAX, strive to transport moviegoers to incredible places that people only dream about visiting. In IMAX 3D and through the power of Randy Newman's incomparable music, audiences will be able to see and hear Woody, Buzz, and the rest of the larger than life characters of Toy Story in a whole new way."

The IMAX 3D version of Toy Story 3 will be released on the same date as all of the other formats: June 18, 2010.

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Tuesday, November 3, 2009

'How to Train Your Dragon' Trailer from DreamWorks



Above you will find the first official trailer for the next DreamWorks flick, How to Train Your Dragon. I'm still not sure what to think about it. The animation (or should I say MoCap), looks pretty decent; the people are certainly a step up from the rubbery beings from the Shrek universe. The dragon looks pretty weird, and I don't know about a main character named Hiccup, but at least I didn't see any pop culture references in the trailer. I hope that DreamWorks has finally decided to focus more on story than gimmicks, although the pushing of the 3D-ness of the film is not a step in the right direction. We'll see come March 26...

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Sunday, September 13, 2009

Star Tours 2.0 is Official


Briefly: The long-rumored Star Tours renovation has been announced today. The attraction, which debuted in 1987, will be re-created in 3D (blech), and will now take take guests through a high-speed pod race in Tatooine. The renovations will be done in Disneyland and Walt Disney World by 2011.

Source: LA Times

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Wednesday, July 29, 2009

'Toy Story' Double Feature Trailer!


Here is what you've been waiting for! A full, funny and great trailer for the re-release of Toy Story and its sequel as a double feature in 3D. Note that, unlike all previous 3D features, this specific release will be exclusive to 3D theaters and not have a 2D alternative. Visit the official site (which has a really funny Little Green Man wearing the 3D glasses--which is a great promotional image for the whole 3D thing) or, even better, watch the trailer right here (might wanna make it full screen...)!



I am very excited to see this! I am completely against 3D and everything about it, also, don't expect to see it around in 4-5 years. Still, I can't wait for this release--especially the double feature aspect.

Looking forward to Fall...

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Saturday, July 11, 2009

3D Not So Popular Anymore... Surprised?


It begins. I didn't think that it would happen this soon, but articles are starting to appear stating the decline of 3D! I have always stated how much I dislike 3D, and I have always predicted its inevitable decline, as well as everybody's realization of its gimmicky nature. I thought this would happen in a few years, but, luckily, we may not have to put with 3D for much longer--at least that's what the LA Times thinks...

According to them:
As more movies play in digital 3-D, there’s evidence that audiences are becoming
less interested in the ballyhooed format that many in Hollywood have predicted
will stem the long-term erosion of theater attendance.
And, their data states that:
The ratio of grosses in theaters with 3-D screens to those that are 2-D only has
declined significantly and fairly consistently since “My Bloody Valentine,” the
first film this year to play on a mix of both, suggesting audience interest in
the new format is waning.
Well, there's much more to read in the article here, but I would just like to say that I have predicted this all along. And I say, good riddance. There's a place for gimmicks and that's carnivals, the circus, and theme parks. They can have all the 3D and even 4D they want--just keep it out of my movie theaters! 3D is OK I suppose, but I definitely prefer brighter colors and no glasses. Simple is best. 2D is perfectly fine without another dimension butting in.

Source: LA Times

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Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Oobermind and Other New DreamWorks


DreamWorks Animation
has decided to challenge Disney by increasing film production to five films every two years. Here's the current line-up for DreamWorks from Blue Sky Disney:

March 26th 2010:

How To Train Your Dragon - “Meet Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, heir of the Viking chiefdom, but a boy with one very big problem: a hero he is not. “How to Train Your Dragon’ is the riotous story of Hiccup’s quest to hunt down the fiercest dragon, bring it into submission, and—hopefully—pass his initiation. Instead, he ends up with the smallest, most ornery dragon—it’s even toothless! Thus begins the hijinx of the world’s most lovable, unlikely hero and a most reluctant “beast.” Packed with energetic drawings and plenty of action, this boisterous tale is just right for fantasy fans or anyone with a spirit of adventure. Based on the book by Cressida Cowell.” Directed by Chris Sanders (you guys remember him, right?), and featuring the voices of Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse.

May 21st 2010:

Shrek Forever After (formerly Shrek Goes Fourth) — Directed by Mike Mitchell (Duce Bigelow, Surviving Christmas, Sky High). Shrek suddenly finds himself in a in a twisted, alternate version of Far Far Away, where ogres are hunted, Rumplestiltskin is king and Shrek and Fiona have never met. Now, it’s up to Shrek to undo all he’s done in the hopes of saving his friends, restoring his world and reclaiming his one True Love.

November 5th 2010:

Oobermind (formerly Master Mind) - Written by Alan J. Schoolcraft and Brent Simons, Oobermind is a satirical take on superhero movies (think The Incredibles), in which a notorious villain (Robert Downey Jr) who finds life a little bit boring after he accidentally kills his nemesis, good guy superhero Metro Man. Ben Stiller and Tina Fey are part of the all-star voice cast.

June 3rd 2011:


Kung Fu Panda: The Kaboom of Doom (formerly Kung Fu Panda 2) — Longtime story exec Jennifer Yuh Nelson makes her feature directorial debut, in a story following continuing adventures of Po, the Kung Fu panda.

November 4th 2011:

The Guardians — Based on an upcoming book series by William Joyce, whose work inspired Disney’s Meet The Robinsons. Described as “a contemporary fairytale based on existing fairytale characters,” Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, Jack Frost and the Sandman team up to defend the world from a Bogeyman-like villain. Of course, the characters have been “somewhat renamed and massively reimagined”. The first book has a tentative release of Christmas 2010. Visual effects artist and animator Jeff Lynch makes his feature directorial debut.

March 20th 2012:

Puss in Boots — Shrek the Third director Chris Smith directs this prequel spin-off to Shrek 2, telling the story of Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas). Salma Hayek will voice the female love interest named Kitty.

May 27th 2012:

Madagascar 3 — Directed by Eric Darnell (Madagascar, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa), in the third film in this franchise we follow the animals as they travel this time to Europe as part of a traveling circus. Tom McGrath previously said that the would like to see the characters return to their home, the Central Park Zoo, but it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen any time soon.

November 12th 2012:


Not chosen yet, but it will be one of these three projects that are in development.

The Croods (formerly Crood Awakenings) - From Chris Sanders and Kirk DeMicco’s comes the prehistoric story of a man’s position as Leader of the Hunt is threatened by the arrival of a prehistoric genius who comes up with revolutionary new inventions… fire. Sanders about the project: “The idea of having all the modern conveniences and social structures that we’re familiar with gone and being left with just a pure form of people was really fun to imagine working with.”

Truckers — based on the first of the thee books in Terry Pratchett’s best-selling The Bromeliad Trilogy, which tells the story of the Nomes, a race of tiny people from another world who now struggle to survive in the world hidden among humans. They find an artifact known as “The Thing” which teaches them about their secret history and make plans to return home. The screenplay is being written by "Slumdog Millionaire" scribe Simon Beaufoy. The film has been has been in development since 2001, originally with Shrek director Andrew Adamson attached to write and direct.

Super Secret Ghost Project
(working title) — A story that examines what ghosts think about humans. Hilarity will undoubtedly ensue...

I really liked Kung Fu Panda, but Monsters vs. Aliens was definitely a letdown. How to Train Your Dragon sounds like a decent idea, as long as they can execute it well and not rely too much on their newfound obsession with 3D (which will be gone in 5 years, by the way). I hope they don't ruin Kung Fu Panda's sequel since I loved the first one, but I guess only Katzenberg knows for sure.


On a similar note, when I went to a seminar by DreamWorks back in March, they told me they were working on a new film then known as MasterMind. But, seeing as that title is copyrighted, they have changed the name to Oobermind. I hope it'll be better than Monsters Vs. Aliens, but my hopes aren't too high as of right now...

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Monday, May 11, 2009

Monday Link Roundup [UPDATED]


Update: Here is the just-released Princess and the Frog official movie poster!

Here is a quick list of brief links that you oughta check out if you want to keep up with the latest Disney, Pixar, Movie, Gadget, and everything in-between news:

  • Disney's upcoming 2D feature, The Princess and the Frog, has a newly released trailer! Here it is:



The Princess and the Frog
looks different from what I expected, but it looks like it (hopefully) will be a great animated film. I cannot wait to see more of the Louis Armstrong-inspired character Louis the Alligator, animated by everybody's favorite lead animator Eric Goldberg, who was also the lead animator for the Genie in Aladdin.




  • Upcoming Pixar has an article that discusses the line of brand new, vintage Up posters, similar to the one above.


  • Here is a video of "Cluster Ballooning" that took place at Pixar as a part of Up's marketing campaign.





  • Forbes has an interesting article about animation that I don't absolutely agree with, but it is still a good read.


  • The re-release of Toy Story in 3D is set to premiere at the Venice Film Festival. Read about it at /Film, read all about it here.



  • Pixar has released their updated versions of RenderMan for Maya and RenderMan Studio.


  • And, finally, the big news of the week is that Pixar is opening a new studio for shorts and other smaller Pixar projects in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada!

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