EDITORIALS

The Big Guide to All Upcoming 3D Movies (Updated 2007)

by Alex Billington
November 23, 2007
Source: SlashFilm, Flickr

I really can't believe the movie industry has come to this. Just a year ago after watching Superman Returns I was writing about how 3D is unnecessary and a pointless gimmick. Now I'm watching Beowulf, a movie entirely in 3D, and loving the hell out of it and talking about 3D like it's where everything is headed in the future. I know in my heart that can't be the case, as 3D is and always will be a gimmick, no matter how realistic it becomes. However, the 3D debate can be saved for another day, because the revolution is coming, you can't stop it. Hollywood has already lined up a pretty impressive selection of 3D movies all the way through 2010.

The speculation is that at least half of all screens in the world will be digital in six years, which is the first step towards 3D. The number of 3D compatible systems already grows every day and its certain that in the future, almost every theater will be pushing for 3D compatibility. From there the doors are a wide open and a number of studios are taking on the initiative to develop 3D films, including DreamWorks SKG as the frontrunner. Let's take a look at the full list of all upcoming 3D movies.

This is a speculative list created with current publicly known information. All dates subject to change. Many thanks to Peter at SlashFilm for coming up with the initial idea and putting together the list and details.

2008:
U2 3D (January 25th, 2008) - Performances from seven of U2's shows on the Latin America Vertigo Tour in early 2006 converted into 3D.

Fly Me to the Moon (February 15th, 2008) - A computer animated tale of three young houseflies that stow away aboard the Apollo 11 flight to the moon.

Journey 3-D (July 11th, 2008) - Visual effects supervisor turned director Eric Brevig's take on the classic Jules Verne novel, "Journey to the Center of the Earth" starring Brendan Fraser and Josh Hutcherson.

Coraline (Fall 2008) - Written and directed by Henry Selick of Nightmare Before Christmas; stop-animated story about a girl who discovers a bricked-up wall behind a door in her home that leads to another world.

The Dark Country (Unconfirmed 2008) - A sci-fi noir thriller directed by Thomas Jane based on a forthcoming graphic novel that's being shot entirely in 3D.

Final Destination 4 (Unconfirmed 2008) - Final Destination 2 director David R. Ellis returns to the franchise for another sequel that will be in 3D.

2009:
Monsters vs. Aliens (March 27th, 2009) - A DreamWorks reinvention of the classic '50s monster movie; directed by Rob Letterman (Shark Tale).

James Cameron's Avatar (May 22nd, 2009) - A band of humans are pitted in a battle against a distant planet's indigenous population. Revolutionary filmmaking techniques and a $190 million budget.

Robert Zemeckis' Christmas Carol (November 6th, 2009) - Zemeckis continues in the same fashion as Polar Express and Beowulf in this classic retelling that will star Jim Carrey as Scrooge.

How to Train Your Dragon (November 20th, 2009) - Based on the 2003 children's novel by British author Cressida Cowell, this is about the adventures of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III - the teenage son of a Viking chieftain who must capture a dragon for a rite of passage.

Crood Awakening (Unconfirmed 2009) - A comedy set in the stone age directed by Chris Sanders (Lilo & Stitch).

Tintin (Unconfirmed 2009) - The adventures of the popular Belgian comic strip hero Tintin and his faithful dog Snowy come to life through Peter Jackson and Steven Spielberg.

Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland (Unconfirmed 2009) - Based on the Lewis Carroll classic with a screenplay by Linda Woolverton (The Lion King); will combine both motion capture technology and live action.

2010:
Shrek Goes Fourth (May 21st, 2010) - The further adventures of the giant green ogre, Shrek, living in the land of Far, Far Away; will discover how Shrek arrived in his swamp.

Master Mind (Fall 2010) - A satirical take on superhero movies, in which a notorious villain loses his "oomph" after he accidentally kills his nemesis.

Puss in Boots (Unconfirmed 2009) - A Shrek spin-off starring the sword fighting cat voiced by Antonio Banderas.

In Development:

Tim Burton's Frankenweenie - A feature length remake of Burton's 1984 short film that is a parody of the 1931 Frankenstein movie. The story is about a pet dog brought back to life by his loyal owner.

James Cameron's Battle Angel - Cameron's adaptation of the graphic novel about a female cyborg who is rescued from the scrapheap by a scientist, who becomes her surrogate father.

Star Wars 3D - George Lucas has announced plans to remaster all of the Star Wars films in 3D. When this might actually happen is anyones guess.

There's an impressive amount of 3D films in the work, especially considering how few 3D screens there actually are at the moment. Star Wars in 3D is definitely one I'm interested in, as is James Cameron's Avatar, which I'm expecting will change the way we watch movies forever.

Now ask yourself, is this really the future of cinema that you want? Or is this just a Hollywood-created gimmick that has been glamorized through technology? Look at the line-up of 3D and tell me to my face that this is really the future of cinema.

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