‘Green Hornet,’ ‘Airbender’ Get 3D Conversion

Published by Jeff Leins on April 22, 2010

Paramount’s The Last Airbender and Sony’s The Green Hornet are both receiving the post-production 3D conversion treatment before their releases.  Only the latter has been pushed back to accommodate.

Harry Knowles at Ain’t It Cool News learned Airbender, the M. Night Shyamalan epic and animated series adaptation, is making the “upgrade” with the approval of the hit-or-miss director.  The process will cost the studio between $5-10 million, which the studio obviously hopes to recoup when the fantasy adventure hits theaters on its original date, July 2.

Seth Rogen’s comic book movie, on the other hand, isn’t so lucky.  The conversion to three dimensions is shoving the Michel Gondry-directed action comedy back three weeks to January 14, 2011.  That’s Martin Luther King weekend, but outside of the major holiday frenzy.  Deadline reports no visual effects have been done yet, so this is an “enhancement.”  At least they won’t be rushed…

One could argue, as Sony reps are today, that December is exceptionally crowded with 3D movies already.  Fox’s The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader premieres on the 10th, followed the next weekend by Disney’s juggernaut release Tron Legacy and WB’s 3D live-action/animation hybrid Yogi Bear.  Just before Christmas is Fox’s Gulliver’s Travels.  These films already gave Green Hornet stiff competition at the box office, and with the added technology there’s even less room in those limited theaters.  In January its only competition comes Joss Whedon’s Cabin in the Woods 3D.

However, the other side could contend this delay is one more sign of a troubled project.  January is typically the dumping grounds for movies with rarely a surprise in the month.  Sony denies rumors that executives are “displeased with the results” and has begun spinning it as rival studios meddling with their movie.  But they fit with what we’re hearing about low expectations, even from Rogen fans, and the film’s problems early on securing a cast and crew (which caused the first release date delay).  The Green Hornet was originally a June 2010 release.  Now it’s a January 2011 release.  I think that’s pretty telling.

3D conversion took a major hit with the sloppy, shoddy quality of WB’s Clash of the Titans.  Hopefully these two films can at least improve the look and feel of the format.