There’s been a lot of talk in the last week or so about a
comment made by ex-DREAMWORKS animation/film-making guru Jeffrey
Katzenberg- he’s stated that George Lucas is planning to re-do all six STAR WARS
films in the 3-D markets. Yep, it’ great news, and news that we’ve been hearing
rumours about for years now, but it may be wise to have some cautious optimism
here as to how long it will be before we actually get a chance to see them.
Prior to his own 3D film release, the fun family adventure JOURNEY TO THE
CENTRE OF THE EARTH, actor/goofball Brendan Fraser saw footage of the beginning
of the first STAR WARS and said it was exciting to watch in the new format.
Additionally, however, we’ve heard that that is the only footage that has been
re-done in the process–that nothing else for the movies, apart from a few extra
first movie DEATH STAR battle shots, have been done (and what was done was
literally as a teaser to get more people in the film industry interested in the
format and the possible ways it could rejuvenate both the film industry and
bring in it’s money making potential). If Lucas has been moving on this project
for a while now-and he is very good at keeping secrets as we all know- just how
far along on the production schedule has he moved since 2005, when producer
Rick McCallum hinted at CELEBRATION III that the 3-D re-inventions would become
a reality?
Despite having been in operation since the fifties, 3-D, believe it
or not, is still a pretty niche market and even with all the refinements made
to this exciting visual process, it’s gonna be a long time yet before we see
STAR WARS back on the big screen where it belongs, and I think it all depends
on how well James Cameron’s BATTLE AVATAR (sic), and, we hear, Tim Burton’s new
production, with Johnny Depp, of ALICE IN WONDERLAND (also being shot in that
format) performs at the Box Office (particularly the American box office) -I
understand that AVATAR-a sort of outer space version of the American War of
Independence meets MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY, but against a backdrop probably not
unlike STAR WARS, is going to be not only completely in the 3D process but
also goes beyond it in technological innovation-what does that mean, I wonder??
If either, or hopefully both, movies are hits and the money does indeed pour
in, then you can bet your britches that STAR WARS will be fast tracked into
release- back to the theatres in possibly an even bigger and bolder way than
the SPECIAL EDITIONS were in 1997, and may even inspire LUCASFILM to work on
other old and new projects in that medium (could the building success, year
after year, of films like BATMAN BEGINS and HARRY POTTER in partial IMAX
format/release also be a good sign of things to come for new technology?). But,
as far as fast tracked is concerned, just how long will it take before we see
them-if we’re lucky, and AVATAR is a hit, perhaps we’ll see the first, newly
restored (again!!) STAR WARS back at the cinemas by 2010/2011, with a new film
every year from there? This isn’t going to happen overnight, people.
Having been one of the core group of film-makers determined to
save the theatre from extinction against the current climate of increased DVD
sales and more TV and the Internet being watched by more people, it’s just a
shame that Lucas can’t pioneer the 3D way first-this time we’re in a
situation, one of those rare occasions, where the people that have been
inspired by his ground breaking work are starting to take the jump ahead of him
instead...
Let’s wish James, Tim and George all the success possible. We
want STAR WARS back. Not just BIG, but BIGGER!!!
