The honeymoon has certainly been over for 3D in 2011; U.S. audience have been staying away from the format in droves, choosing to seek out 2D screenings of blockbusters, and it all culminated in August in a goggled-clusterfuck where “Final Destination 5,” “Conan,” “Fright Night” and “Spy Kids 4” all cannibalized each other, while 2D pictures “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” and “The Help” dominated the box office. But Hollywood executives aren’t done with wringing every penny that they can from the format. The next phase? taking proven blockbusters and giving them the headache-y, pop up book treatment.
Friday brings the release of “The Lion King 3D,” while the first few months of next year will see “Titanic 3D” and the first of the George Lucas re-releases that will span the next SIX YEARS, “Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace,” hit theaters. And it looks like one more’s set to join them, with The Hollywood Reporter bringing news that beloved 80s plane flick “Top Gun” is currently being given the 3D go-round.
Four minutes of the conversion, being done by Legend3D (“Green Lantern,” “The Smurfs,” “Conan“), were premiered this morning at the International Broadcasting Convention in Amsterdam, with company CEO Rob Hummel saying that “I think “Top Gun” lends itself to 3D due to the aerial flight. You can have fun with 3D by bringing things off the screen if they are not attached to the edge of the screen.”
According to Hummel, Paramount is planning a theatrical re-release of the film early next year, although will be seeking director Tony Scott‘s approval before any date is confirmed; the conversion company is currently financing the process themselves, and will share the revenues with the studio. With a potential sequel to the film in the works, the studio is clearly planning to use the re-release to get the property back in the public eye, for better or worse, so you can look forward to orange-tinted 3D volleyball in theaters sometime in the next 15 months or so. More as the studio confirms it.
