‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’ Goes 3D

Published by Jeff Leins on: January 26th, 2010

Sparked by the record-breaking success of Avatar, the hot 3D trend is beginning to spread through the executive boardrooms of other major studios.  Last week, Warner Bros was considering the possibility of converting Clash of the Titans using post-production techniques to add the third dimension.

The Heat Vision Blog, the outlet that originally brought the news of a 3D conversion, is reporting test footage on the Greek epic starring Sam Worthington have gone so well they’ve signed off on the roughly $5 million it will cost to convert the 2D film, plus an additional $5M to furnish theaters with the special glasses.  The process will mean the Titans release is being pushed back a mere week to April 2.

The big news is Warners is pleased enough with the results and relatively low cost of 3D — especially against to the doubled ticket prices — that they’ve ordered both parts of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows to be converted to 3D.  Part 1 is scheduled for November 19 and Part 2 will conclude the movie series July 15, 2011.

The already wrapped movies were not shot using the stereoscopic technology of Cameron’s Avatar, so don’t expect the same immersive experience as the sci-fi blockbuster.  It will more closely resemble the 25 minutes of 3-D used in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince last July.

The conversion process irks me because the studio isn’t likely to distinguish the difference between the unbelievable experience of 3D alien worlds versus the pop-up gimmicks created in a computer well after cameras stop rolling.  (Digital, animated films are a separate topic.)

In the case of Clash of the Titans, average audiences might buy a 3D ticket thinking they’re in for the awe Avatar delivered.  After all, it’s still Sam Worthington.  Instead it’s a rushed conversion on a movie conceived in 2D.  Maybe Medusa’s snakes snap out into the audience.  Is that really worth the extra dollars?  It seems more like a distraction to me.

This could quickly become like the “fake IMAX” situation, where customers are burdened with doing their own research before forking over extra money for a varying result.  Like I said, I’m all for shooting a film in 3D and the added enjoyment it might bring, but in my opinion, converting to 3D is just another way to squeeze money out of audiences.