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Pixar Converting Ratatouille & Others into 3D for Re-Release?

by Alex Billington
July 14, 2010
Source: SlashFilm, HeyUGuys

This is just a speculative rumor for now, but there is a quote to back it up, and it certainly seems plausible. Our friends at SlashFilm (via Bleeding Cool) noticed in the interview on HeyUGuys with Bob Whitehill, Pixar's "Stereoscopic Supervisor" (note: stereoscopic = 3D), that he talks about working with Brad Bird to re-render scenes of Ratatouille into 3D. I use the term "converting" in the headline, but Pixar can simply re-render the original frames just like they did with Toy Story 1 and 2 to turn their older movies into 3D. I didn't think the re-release of those two movies in 3D was a big success, but maybe Disney thought it was.

Here's the key quote from the interview with Whitehill where he talks about converting Ratatouille to 3D.

"Ratatouille is one that we're exploring doing [3D conversion on] and Brad Bird is very open to some changes, you know, some very subtle changes but slight reframings. If a character's reaching forward and a pinky goes off screen, we'll adjust the camera and the character a little bit to have the hand on. So that said, if the director's open to minor modifications on a library title then that's wonderful and we're really excited about doing that."

I actually saw the Toy Story 1 & 2 3D re-release last October and enjoyed seeing those two films on the big screen again, but didn't really care for the 3D. The only movie that I felt 3D really made a difference on, to the point where I almost can't watch it in 2D, was Avatar. I'm looking forward to Disney's 3D conversion of Beauty and the Beast more than seeing any of Pixar's past movies get converted. Then again, this could just be the first steps towards distributing new 3D Blu-Rays for the new 3D TVs hitting the market, like Sony did for Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (get it on Amazon). Not that I support that either, but maybe it's not for theatrical re-release. Anyway, since this is only speculation for now, we'll have to keep you updated.

Filed under 3D, Movie News, Opinions, Rumors

From around the web:

Higher IQ than You

Having now seen probably the 2 highest rated 3D movies so far (Avatar and Toy Story 3), I think it's pretty safe to say I'll never watch a 3D motion picture again. It makes so little difference, it really isn't worth the extra cost. I found no extra visual appeal of Toy Story 3 3D over the other Toy Story movies I've seen in standard 2D. Short films, or ads like the Toy Story based ad where Rex's tail comes out at you are great. But in a motion picture, things like that don't seem to be placed in the film (I'm guessing cos if they are the 2D version will just seem odd). Even with Avatar, having watched 3D at the movies and then a ultra-high quality 2D on a wide screen HDTV, I found no level of dis-satisfaction in the 2D version. In fact, if anything, it was probably better because I wasn't tyring to notice things coming out at me, I could just focus on the movie itself, which is already visually pleasing too.
josh

higher IQ you're the one the 3d technology advocates are trying to seduce you actually like the "stuff comes out at you" 3d? why? that's the gimmick. maybe the reason you didnt like Avatar's 3d was because every inch of screen was layered to give perspective. it wasnt just "stuff popping out of the screen"
ryderup

josh: I don't like 3D either. But If I am to go to a 3D showing again it will be for a "gimmicky" experience. I had pretty fun watching The Final Destination (Which obviously sucked) with a date in 3D. It has a campy 80's Date-event kind of feel to the ecperience. But the subtle 3D á Avatar is not for me... good movies should be watched like a painting, not a cheap hologram
Voice of Reason

UP blew my mind in 3-D....So long as I dont find myself watching Cars 2, Pixar can do whatever they want and it's all good.
Xerxex

no. just no Pixar.
Jeeze

Cars 2 may suprise us for the better.
shadow

I have a feeling all my respect for them is starting to disappear. It hurts me to think that, they represent to me a studio that cheers for original ideas in Hollywood. To see them do so many sequels instead of original concepts, and to do this obvious a cash-in move, makes my love for them flounder.
tonhogg

I think these conversions of past movies will end up being more useful for home 3d like blu-ray. As conversion gets perfected and looks way better, which I'm sure Cameron will do quite well with the titanic conversion, we will begin to see a flood of older films converted in 3 or 4 years. Especially when home screens get larger but fall in price, which is the next move for televisions. Already we are starting to hear about older television shows being converted. Blockbuster movies of the past will follow as well. Then as the 3d televisions that don't require glasses start coming out next year and the kinks in those get worked out, in 5 years you are going to see home 3d that looks just awesome.
Mark

The idea of watching another 3D film just makes me exhausted. Fortunately they still play 2D films.
doctor tongue

As long as the 3D version is on one side of the disc and the 2D version on the flip side (or two discs), I don't really care.
Listondraws

There is nothing simple about pulling out the assets from a feature film for re-rendering. There is a long list of tweaks and adjustments that will have to be made before any of Pixar's old films will be ready to be rendered in Stereoscopic. And to all you 3D neigh sayers, get with the times. 3D isn't going away.
John Rhee

Would be interesting if the producer of Dark Knight Rises, Fast and the Furious 7 sequels, or Contraband produced a film based on Facebook gaming by Zynga called Mafia Wars in 3D starring Anne Hathaway as Mimi (one of the Boss Fights characters), Robert Pattinson as James the Knife (another Boss Fight character), Robert De Niro, Kristen Stewart (the female from the earlier days w/ shoulder length and long brunette hair Mafia character, esp. in Las Vegas logo promotion from couple years back), Vin Diesel as Vincent Giorgio, and more. Audience that will see the movie after playing the game on Facebook including the developers in MW will want the game to be based on the movie to make it more fun.