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Live-Action Flight of the Dragon 4K Film Under Development

by Alex Billington
July 8, 2008
Source: Hollywood Reporter

I'm not really sure what the heck this is, but it sounded pretty cool and I thought it'd be a good break from the comic book news of recent. Producer Charlotte Huggins, who is bringing us both Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D and Fly Me to the Moon 3D, has just announced that she is producing a new film titled Flight of the Dragon. Thankfully this one won't be in 3D, instead the film will be shot in 4K resolution and designed for display in IMAX and other "giant-screen" digital venues. The concept is yet another basic story designed for looks that tells of a young boy's desire to discover China from the sky while flying with a mystical dragon over exotic and mysterious landscapes. Essentially it's another opportunity for Huggins to experiment with theatrical technology, but this time I may actually give it a chance.

Flight of the Dragon is being written and directed by production company Super 78's Brent Young, who has been developing this project in the company for two years. The film will be a hybrid documentary and fantasy shot entirely in mainland China, principally from aerial perspectives in locations across the country. Huggins enthusiastically explains that "I also love the idea of doing a production in China; it's challenging from a production standpoint. We're going to be shooting in very remote, beautiful locations." The film will be shot on the revolutionary new Red One digital camera system and edited in 4K resolution. Huggins claims that "4K is the next [technology] challenge... and the special venue really pushes the envelope."

If you've ever seen a film projected in 4K resolution, you know that nothing compares to how beautiful it looks. Most people haven't actually ever seen a film shown in full 4K nor have ever been in a theater that runs a 4K projector. Considering most Hollywood movies are produced at only half of that resolution and most digital projectors in theaters also only project at half of that resolution, it's unlikely that the typical moviegoer knows how good 4K looks. This is one time where I'll say that this technology is the future, unlike 3D, and has yet to really be utilized in mainstream cinema. That's why I'm interested in seeing how Flight of the Dragon turns out. Would you be willing to check out Flight of the Dragon in theaters?

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