ROTTEN TOMATOES: "War of the 3-D Epics" -- Coming May, 2009

"War of the 3-D Epics" -- Coming May, 2009

by Scott Weinberg | April 23, 2007

Memorial Day 2009 is set up to be Cameron vs. Katzenberg in the battle of the 3-D epics. Both producers want the release date, Katzenberg for "Monsters vs. Aliens," and Cameron for his long-awaited "Avatar."

Both films are expected to employ state-of-the-art 3-D technology, which gives the theaters chains a few years to upgrade their projection equipment -- but which flick will actually keep that date? Considering how massive each movie could be, logic dictates that either DreamWorks or Fox will have to cede May '09 to the other. Industry insiders are sure that one producer will cave in, eventually.

Normally this wouldn't be that big a deal; blockbusters sometimes open directly opposite one another ... but this conflict arises because only a percentage of the nation's movie theaters can properly display a movie like this. (By 2009, your local multiplex should have at least one or two theaters prepared for the all-new 3-D onslaught.)

Also, it looks like "Avatar" will get released in non-3-D form as well.

So who'll shift release dates first?

Source: The Chicago Tribune

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(1-20 of 21 posts) | Reply

Huck writes:
on Apr 23 2007 06:09 AM

Are movies really going the way of 3D? How tiresome.

(Reply to this)

Ashron writes:
on Apr 23 2007 06:17 AM

Why tiresome? I think it's a great idea if they can construct the technology in such a way that we don't have to wear glasses. It seems the next logical extension of the moviegoing experience.

(Reply to this)

frogleg writes:
on Apr 23 2007 06:59 AM

That might be the first time I've heard something brand-new referred to as "tiresome".

(Reply to this)

crudebob writes:
on Apr 23 2007 07:17 AM

In reply to this comment (#862426)
The're nothing new about 3-D. Even Hitchcock released a 3-D movie in 1955 called Dial M For Murder.

(Reply to this)

jeremyd4 writes:
on Apr 23 2007 07:33 AM

how can you have 3D movies without glasses?

(Reply to this)

Vitamin M writes:
on Apr 23 2007 07:57 AM

In reply to this comment (#862428)
That's why they call it an advancement.
"How can you have 3-d without glasses?"
"How can you have a telephone without a cord?"
"How can you have a vehicle not pulled by horses?"
"How can you make fire without doing a dance for the fire gods?"

it's technology I thought you'd be use to it by now.

(Reply to this)

unbreakable_samurai writes:
on Apr 23 2007 08:19 AM

Avatar should keep the date because it's the one that supposedly will be groundbreaking.

(Reply to this)

pinkincide writes:
on Apr 23 2007 08:51 AM

Avatar requires 3D glasses:
http://www.slashfilm.com/article.php/20070109avatar

But perhaps Vitamin M can fill us in on his glasses-less wonder technology since he's so "used to it".

(Reply to this)

warsaw writes:
on Apr 23 2007 10:29 AM

In reply to this comment (#862431)
crap!

for some reason (maybe because i wear glasses) i can t literally see 3d movies well
:[

(Reply to this)

Mikhial66 writes:
on Apr 23 2007 10:42 AM

Its hard to watch 3D movies for a while. Its annoying to try to focus. Especially for that long. 3D belongs at Disney

(Reply to this)

fatmc writes:
on Apr 23 2007 12:34 PM

[b]what's that othe movie about?[/b]
I've been hearing the buzz for avatar since day 1, but never heard of monsters vs aliens... I doubt it has anything to do with alien vs predator... but monsters vs aliens looks like a terrible title...
IMDB doesn't give any info unless you're a paying member... anyone has any info about this??

(Reply to this)

Bigbrother writes:
on Apr 23 2007 01:37 PM

In reply to this comment (#862429)
I for one never light a fire without first doing the appropriate dance to my fire God. Better safe than sorry right?

(Reply to this)

Crenshaw writes:
on Apr 23 2007 03:07 PM

In reply to this comment (#862429)
[b]Huh...? What are you smoking...?[/b]
Someone please give me a link to "3D without glasses" technology that will realistically make it into theaters in the next 2 years. Anyone...?

These are glasses-required 3D movies.

(Reply to this)

johndav18 writes:
on Apr 23 2007 03:30 PM

[b]how exciting[/b]
the theatre i work at just upgraded one of our screens to the new digital projector capable of showing 3D movies in time for the release of meet the robinsons ... word has it we may get another one before 2009 soooo crossing fingers :-D

(Reply to this)

CGHJ writes:
on Apr 23 2007 04:21 PM

[b]3-D has gotten lots better[/b]
3-D has indeed been around forever, but the new technology they have for projecting it, even though you still need glasses, is remarkable. I saw Nightmare Before Xmas in digital 3-D and it's as sharp and clear as you can imagine. You are *there*. Sometimes your jaw drops. In the beginning there was a show-off effect with a pumpkin springing out into the audience and it looked exactlly like a real, solid pumpkin was coming out of the movie screen all the way back to my seat waaaay in the back and hovering right in front of me. Spy Kids 3-D this is not.

I'm really looking forward to it, actually. Even moreso the 3-D version of Star Wars they're working on right now (computers can make old 2-D movies 3-D now, that's what they did to Nightmare). But you can bet that Cameron is going to take the new 3-D to a whole new level, can't wait!

(Reply to this)

yodas gooch writes:
on Apr 23 2007 06:38 PM

Monsters Vs Aliens...hahahaha WTF?

(Reply to this)

WeaponAndy writes:
on Apr 23 2007 07:33 PM

[b]Never heard of Monsters vs. Aliens[/b]
But Avatar sounds sweet. I can't wait to see this new 3D technology to actually take flight.

(Reply to this)

TheIceGhost writes:
on Apr 23 2007 08:25 PM

I'll be sold when they can construct a way to let you watch 3d movies without getting a headache from them.

It is the next logical step though. Theaters have to start doing s o m e t h i n g different, otherwise their days are numbered. "But you get to see a movie on a really big screen!" So? I have a projection in my house too, big deal. : ) (and no, I'm not at all rich).

(Reply to this)

jeremyd4 writes:
on Apr 24 2007 02:24 AM

In reply to this comment (#862429)
Surely you must be from the future Vitamin man??!?! Wow!! A vehicle not pulled by horses? GET OUT OF HERE!!!!!!! You talk crazy, that'll never happen.

(Reply to this)

gwai_lou writes:
on Jun 07 2007 05:48 PM

[b]3D[/b]
The only way to get 3D without glasses is projecting onto a 3d Surface, possible if one can find a way to, say project an image into a gas which is normally invisible. Could happen. The new 3D glasses use light polarization (rather than red/blue filters) to simulate a 3d image, the technology behind present-day 3D has come a long way since the 1950s. I have my hopes up for the Order of the Phoenix later this summer, which will hopefully be better than the rather lame 3D scenes in Superman returns.

(Reply to this)

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