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Episode I The Phantom Menace released theatrically 2012

source: (starwars.com, usatoday.com)





Lucasfilm Ltd. announced today that the live-action Star Wars Saga will be converted to 3D!

There are few movies that lend themselves more perfectly to 3D; from the Death Star trench run to the Tatooine Podrace, the Star Wars Saga has always delivered an entertainment experience that is completely immersive. Presented by Twentieth Century Fox and Lucasfilm Ltd., the cutting edge conversion will take that immersion to the next thrilling level, with Industrial Light & Magic supervising the project.

Episode I The Phantom Menace is expected to be released theatrically in 2012.
A release date has not yet been determined.

"Getting good results on a stereo conversion is a matter of taking the time and getting it right," said John Knoll, Visual Effects Supervisor for Industrial Light & Magic. "It takes a critical and artistic eye along with an incredible attention to detail to be successful. It is not something that you can rush if you want to expect good results. For Star Wars we will take our time, applying everything we know both aesthetically and technically to bring audiences a fantastic new Star Wars experience."

Holy Shit! Well its about god dam time!

The usatoday.com link more in-depth info:

John Knoll:

"You're generating a synthetic second eye," Knoll says. "You're finding out where the boundaries of objects are in the scene and what their distance is to the camera, and you're using that information to generate (3-D)."

Only so much of the work can be done automatically by computer, and even then it has to be studied closely by a human being. "If you see a round object, you're reconstructing what is behind it," Knoll says, since both "eyes" see a slightly different perspective than the 2-D image allowed.

Although the prequels were shot more recently than the original trilogy, converting them will be more complicated because there is more intricacy to the background effects. Knoll cites a chase scene through a galactic city's floating traffic in Attack of the Clones as a particular challenge.

"There are thousands and thousands of flying images," he says. "But the nice thing about stereo (visuals) is you get this wonderful immersive effect if it's done right."

It will be great to see the films on the big screen again. I'm glad they're starting with Episode I.

The 3D fad needs to die soon. It adds absolutely nothing to a film, and we've been inundated with this 'revolution' for the past two years. At least Knoll is heading up the project.

Totally agree. That said: CAN'T. FUCKING. WAIT.

Can't WAIT! Holy shit that's pretty awesome news.

TPM3D is the first film release in 2012 with

AOTC 2013
ROTS 2014
ANH 2015
ESB 2016
ROTJ 2017

following - and all of that is based on TPM3D's performance at the box office.

What could take the wind out of the TPM3D's sails is the HD Box Set release a year prior in 2011.

The one per year bit is a joke.

I'm guessing that the hidden message is LAS = 2018.

I agree DP, the 3D TPM will step on the box set copy. This will be especially true if the 3D release is a Special Edition version of the film and the box set DVD is not.

Why would Lucasfilm release this information today?

By the way, the usatoday.com article has a quote from Lynne Hale that I think we should really take to heart before jumping to release date conclusions:



But let's face it folks: the thing that could trip up TPM3D's release is TPM itself. The film is not well regarded even after all these years and while I'm sure the fanbase will come out in support of it (if only to see their favorite episode get the 3D treatment), Lucasfilm and Fox are going to have to do a lot to sell this picture to the masses all over again. I wonder if Lucas will look into D-Boxing this release as well and give the flicks the full on "Star Tours" treatment.

Not well regarded by whom? While OT pursuits will always kvetch about anything past 1983, these individuals are only a fraction of the movie going public.

The current rating at the IMD for TPM 6.4/10. The Shawshank Redemption is the currently the top film with a rating of 9.2/10. So, at that site, the favorability is above middle of the road (6.4/9.2 = 70%). This may be a good gauge of public opinion or not. I’m not sure as I don’t know who posts at the sight. (BTW, for The Shawshank Redemption being the greatest movie ever.)

In general, it’s hard to gauge a film's true reception until it hits theaters. I’m sure that there will be plenty of negative coverage of the film up until the movie's release as it’s the Internet age and anger sells. But remember, negative press didn’t stop the movie from doing well the first time.

I would love to know what the conversion costs are for the film. That way, we could gauge what type of box office draw is needed for the project to be a success.

With the HD Box Set release a year prior - there maybe some siphoning off of the pent up Star Wars nostalgia - especially for the first release The Phantom Menace - arguably the least well received of the series. Not for me however, because I am in for Star Wars at the movies! Last year's Star Wars in Concert tour - which was essentially HD Film Segments + Orchestra demonstrated the draw the series still has.

Starwars.com updated it's article with a John Knoll Interview.


Variety also has some new info:

John Knoll: "I have been a vocal critic of some of the previous efforts at doing 3D conversions. I think the problems that have been encountered are mostly because of budget and schedule, trying to ram the work though in too short a period of time."

John Knoll: "Having seen a lot of stereo material, I have very strong opinions about what I like and don't like about stereo. I'm going to be applying my aesthetic. It's not going to look like (conversions) we've seen in the past."

Knoll said there are no plans to add or fix visual effects on the movies.

I'm excited about seeing the movies where they were meant to be seen. Not quite as enthusiastic about 3-D conversion, but whatever.

Lucas' comments about fan demographic come into play here, I think. That being, older fans grew up with and love the classic trilogy, younger fans are into the prequels and children love Clone Wars. I certainly see that being true to a large extent.

This 2012-2018 release, if it indeed pans out that way, allows that younger age bracket to literally grow up with Star Wars. I think that's awesome.

Curious. If the 3D films and the HD DVD's are not special editions, what is this for:

[flash width=640 height=385]http://www.youtube.com/v/Ezak5ZNnA88?fs=1[/flash]

It was an animation test made between Episodes II and III to reacquaint the animators with the character. It's always been assumed to replace the Episode I puppet, but never confirmed.

I'd assume he's talking specifically about the 3D release.

You know what I'm talking about-everyone here was around when TPM hit theaters and everyone here remembers the reactions from audiences. I say this as probably the biggest Lucas shill (and admitted TPM sheep) on this site but facts are facts: the prequels just didn't capture the zeitgeist and imagination of the masses in the same way the original trilogy did back in the late 70's and early 80's. It doesn't take much to dip your toes in the pop cultural waters and get a feel for people's general disdain or apathy for the follow ups. For further evidence, I give you exhibit a:

George Lucas Doesn't Have Enough Money

And not for nothing but the IMDB poll has to be among the least reliable indicators of a film's worth and lasting impact.

I saw the film three times in the theater and, in all cases, the audience reaction was largely positive. The only negative remarks I came across where from "professional" journalists prior to the film’s release and on fan sites after the film's release. As I stated before, pursuits will continue to whine loudly because they don’t know any better. However, the loudest voices don’t necessarily represent the majority of voices.

I agree that OT films have a stronger following that the PT, but that doesn’t mean that the prequels won’t do well for Lucasfilm. Again, the ultimate profit margin will determine if the project is a financial success.


Yes, Knoll was talking about the 3D release. I thought Lucas had stated that the HD copies were just upgraded versions of the existing DVDs.

Same here. But the real negative, vitriolic comments came from loser sheep interneters. It was not uncommon for people to say stupid shit like "the worst movie EVER made" etc.

I told one friend of mine something I've said here before: I truly just do not see how TPM is any worse than ROTJ. They are the bookends to the story. The real meat of the saga is in the middle, as is the case with any other saga. My friend looked at me like I had just fucked his grandmother.

But, 11 years later, I think people are ok with TPM. But at the time, man oh man, there was some horrible trash talk about that movie. I think some so-called "fans" went out of their way to hate it.

I'd bet the 3D transfer process will take a whole lot longer than anybody thinks. Knoll says they "are going to do it right." Well that means 2012 is probably too soon, imo.



When did he say that?

Purist? How about realist. TPM overall is a stinker. It captures none of the joy or humor of movies 1-3 (aka IV-VI) and overall the thing is just monotonous to sit through. NOW IN 3D! I don't plan on seeing this.

NYTimes interviews Lucas



I guess I misconstrued this statement to mean that the prequel DVD's would also be the same as the current releases.

And again, just like ROTJ.

No, that’s not realistic stance. You may not personally like the subject matter or approach of the TPM, but that doesn’t make it a bad film.

I get why some people don’t respond favorably to the PT. With the PT films, the audience doesn’t emotionally participate in the story as much as the original films. From time to time, PT viewers serve chiefly as a spectator to its events.

For me, a good example is Shmi’s funeral. While I can empathize with Anakin’s feelings of loss, I can’t fully relate to the consuming nature of his anger and grief. Even though he’s a main character, I’m not completely feeling what he’s feeling. I’m more like Owen and Beru who are background witnesses. When Beru gives a concerned sideways look at Owen, I’m thinking what she’s thinking about Anakin.



As a whole, I don’t find this periodic aloofness to be a fatal flaw for the PT films as they still have a lot to offer in other areas.

In addtion to its art design, the real quality of the PT lies in its character analysis, historical parallels, mythological symbolism, and storytelling conventions. Like AOTC and ROTS, the TPM is a deep and rich film with an intelligent point-of-view.

I agree that from a technical standpoint, TPM is not perfect. There are few lines that could be read better and it sometimes abandons its own pacing. But these surface flaws don’t subvert the filmmaker’s vision for the story.

Overall, it’s important to keep in mind that only a handful of perfect movies have ever been made and there’s more than one way to make a quality movie.


Even though ROTJ is my favorite of the six, I can fully acknowledge its flaws. However, the movie (which is the least dark in tone of the original three) is not even close to being joyless. Come on.

That version of Yoda is supposed to be replaced for next year's box set. I hope to god they do replace it that puppet looks ugly to this day.

I agree with Joe1138 that the prequels didn't capture the zeitgeist and imagination of the mass audience, and actually none of the currently made and released films have the kind of impact that the OT had in the 70s and 80s. Nevertheless,

I still feel that all the LOTRs, Potters, and modern superhero flicks are babies that The Phantom Menace and The Matrix made in 1999. Those 2 were the first movies that showed what you can really use CG for - from making completely new, alien world to having characters gracefully break the physical laws we're used to. That's where the real power and influence of the prequels lies.

On a personal note I have to say that contrary to the majority I love TPM and don't understand others' problems with it. If any of the prequels is problematic to me, then it's Attack of the Clones, but as a whole I think the prequels are a big success.

TPM made $431 mill in America and $493 mill in the foreign markets. There's a limit to how much of that you can attribute to the association with the Star Wars name. If mass audiences hadn't enjoyed TPM, it might've had big numbers the first two or three weekends but it wouldn't have had the legs that it did. TPM didn't have a sub-$1 million weekend on a consistent basis until Week #17.

To put that in perspective, The Two Towers had its first sub-$1 mill weekend in Week #14. Shrek 2 was below $1 million by Week #12. The Abrams Trek movie was there by Week #11.

And while the OT true believers continually bash the hell out of TPM, the people who were kids when TPM came out are either old enough to drink legally or else they're getting close to it. They've been on message boards for a few years now. Slowly but surely, the online consensus of TPM is starting to shift. Hell, even Entertainment Weekly took back all of their whining and bitching.

I truly believe the TPM rerelease will surprise a lot of people in how well regarded that movie actually is.

It's just too bad that 3D sucks.

Can I get an Amen! 3D is a gigantic waste. I don't know if it will ever really be that great unless they develop a method that not only looks incredible but does not require glasses. I will support 3D until the saga is released then it can die for all I care.

I am curious to see what, if any, changes will be made to ROTS. For instance, I have always been amazed that they were satisfied enough with the Mace/Sidious fight where they had to CG Ians face in. I wonder if that will be even more noticeable in 3D, or perhaps those of you that saw it on the Imax screen, how bad was it there? I have always been really bothered by that scene, it is just so damn noticeable that it felt like they just didnt care and said, "oh well fuck it that's good enough". But is it good enough to ask people to buy theater tickets again and new hi def versions, and then probably new 3D versions again after that.



guess that answered my question

"Knoll said there are no plans to add or fix visual effects on the movies."

LOL so somewhere along the line did ILM or GL get it in their heads that everyone was happy with where they left off in 2004 with the special editions? Since then fan editors have thoroughly put ILM to shame with releases that actually try to FIX problems ILM either missed, caused or didn't bother to fix.

Okay so no further fixes means we can look forward to the Emperor's slugs converted in 3D? How about Han's awkward head bobble in the Cantina when Greedo idiotically fires first? Those 3D garbage matte boxes around the ties in ANH will certainly look great on the big screen.

LOL, I suppose "no further fixes" also means they are going to take the crappy over saturated & incorrectly color timed prints of the SE OT and convert from there???

Ughhhhhh. Seriously if that's the case why bother? I'm hoping Knoll is either wrong, not allowed to talk about it or simply means there will be no overhaul in FX, but obvious necessary tweaks will be made anyway like in the past.

I can't imagine seeing Luke's multicolored saber, Han's glass reflection and Qui Gon's & Obi Wan's awful jump cuts etc all being blindly and lazily converted straight to 3D without one person stopping & saying "Um maybe we should fix these shots since they look like shit."

At this point we shouldn't be hearing predictable crap like "there are no plans to fix things", as if everything is perfect as is. We should be hearing stuff like "the team at ILM is working passionately & diligently to make certain that SW will be presented as properly as possible for BOTH the long awaited Blu Ray release and the 3D releases. ILm & GL are working to insure that any and all past issues or problems will visual FX elements, audio and color timing etc will at last be perfected in a quality manner so that fans may enjoy the definitive saga as it's meant to be seen.

I think what you're noticing in that scene are the limitations of the face replacement technology at that time rather than the overall QC at ILM. ROTS was never released in IMAX so if anyone did see it on a giant screen it would have been a 35mm print stretched well beyond its means and would've looked like shit anyway. I actually think the 3D retrofit will hide some of the effects that may not have held up over time seeing as how the screen will (probably) be dimmed when you put on the glasses.

TPM 3D official release date announced: February 10, 2012


Lucasfilm Ltd. and Twentieth Century Fox announced today that the 3D theatrical launch of Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace now has an official release date -- February 10, 2012! Set against the thrilling and exotic backdrop of a "galaxy far, far away," Star Wars is perfectly suited to the immersive 3D theatrical experience, and Episode I delivers some of the Saga's most stunning and spectacular sequences -- from the Naboo invasion to the Tatooine Podraces to the climactic lightsaber battle between Darth Maul and the Jedi.

Supervised by Industrial Light & Magic, the meticulous conversion is being done with utmost respect for the source material, and with a keen eye for both technological considerations and artistic intentions

Oh, and 3D is a gimmick. I watched Avatar, and it never felt natural (silly plot didn't help either). I'd rather watch all six on the big screen in plain "2D" again, preferably in IMAX (AOTC looked great, and the editing was actually better than the theatrical version).

Of course, once the flicks are out I'd got see them anyway, and would bitch afterward how stupid 3D ruined Star Wars

@CineMeGeek

QUOTE:
According to a UK Fox Rep, we MAY be seeing Attack of the Clones 3D August 2012 followed by Revenge of the Sith 3D Feb 2013! Hmm





Soooo ... pretty clear that alot of work has already been done on the films, I'm guessing this is technically possible.

August might make sense as the tentpoles will be pretty much done for the year and they'd have a clean shot at a decent audience who will go to just about anyth]ing in the waning days of summer. Any thoughts gentlemen?

I highly doubt it. However, the one-a-year concept is looking like its going to get really, really old by the time the OT hits. Will we still have 3D, as it is now, in 5 years?

That aspect of things makes me not dismiss it altogether, but sounds unlikely. Very unlikely.

I'd figure schedule revamps to happen closer to the end of the saga, if we were betting on it.

I believe I read a quote from John Knoll that stated they could do a 3D conversion in 10 months. If they got TPM done ahead of schedule and started on AOTC right away...August seems plausible. However, if LFL was planning on an August release date, I'd be shocked if we don't hear something official about it soon. That's less than 6 months away.

Knoll said TPM took them 10 months. They announced they were working on this whole thing, what, 2 years ago?

Also people have reported seeing bits of ANH in 3D at trade shows, so clearly there's been time and some amount of finished product. And, yeah, I'm wondering if there's realistically any way they can sustain interest in the whole venture for 5 more years.

3D is dying a quick death (thankfully), and the appetite for SW doesn't seem to be there this time. Based on the performance of the first one (TPM or not, it's still SW on the big screen), they're not seeing SE type box office (which I kind of suspect is what they were hoping for) and may be thinking they've got to condense the schedule to take advantage of what interest there is.

That's why, improbable as it may sound, I'm not dismissing it out of hand.

I presumed that the 3D releases were a slow roll-out for the Underworld series. Maybe an accelerated release schedule means the show is closer to fruition than originally expected. Or maybe Fox is trying to get to the OT as quickly as possible since that’s where the most money is.

I suspect that the closeness of the Blu-ray release is stepping on the 3D campaign.

Underworld will never happen, or at least not in the next few years. I think it's more likely we would see something like the break between ST:TOS and ST:TNG. The time to strike on that project was shortly after RotS, not a decade later.

Honestly, I don't think the BD is stepping on the 3Ds so much as people have the perception (true or not) that SW is completely overexposed, far too available, and that demand is DEFINITELY at a low point right now.

CW seems to be struggling in the ratings, the theatrical roll-out was weak sauce (yeah, profitable, but by no means a smash), and the toy lines also seem to be getting ready to fold, or at least shrink substantially.

SW needs a nice, long break like we had in the late '80s and '90s to let enthusiasm build again, and let people clense the pallette so to speak.

I agree that SW: Underworld will not happen. Too expensive for the format, given GL's vision, though I can see it re-imagined as the next series of novels. It's too bad, because that Ep3-4 gap has always been the most fascinating one to me, as a fan of the franchise.

Would it be humiliating for LFL to just issue 3D blu rays of the 6 films, if TPM didn't perform up to their expectations? At least the time/money/energy would go into a format that would justify the project.

They really should do one every February and every August. At least the Prequels. They could probably release the OT in mid-June every year and do OK.

I agree that Star Wars Underworld will likely never see the light of day, but I have to disagree with your assessment of CW and how successful it is. CW still draws an average of 2.0-2.4 cable viewers for 1st run episodes... that's pretty darned good.

However, I do think the producers of CW have created a bit of a quandary for themselves and for Hasbro. CW started out as a fairly light family friendly cartoon adventure show, with periodic "darker" episodes thrown in from time to time... ratings were very solid and it was far and away one of the biggest animated shows on cable TV.

But, with the advent of Season 3 there was a definite shift in tone and series has gotten noticeably darker. Ultimately I think that has hurt ratings as younger kids are not allowed to watch CW because of its more adult themes. The show deals with the sinister forces of darkness and has gotten pretty violent as of late... I know a number of families that stopped watching because it was deemed "too much" for the little ones to handle. I suspect that has also caused a dip in sales of CW action figures.

Despite that Star Wars is certainly not hurting.


Yancy

Humiliating and unneccessary. The cost to LFL of bringing them to theaters has got to be fairly miniscule; that's why we're seeing so much vintage stuff brought back (sw, titanic, jp...). Even a ho-hum theatrical run is basically gravy, so no reason to wrap early. I t think it would have been wiser to roll them out at least twice a year - this 12 month gap allows whatever enthusiasm was generated to wane before the next one hits. Compare that to the SE release where we got a new movie every month and it was a great ride from one to the next. Once a year for a used product with no new surprises is just not marketing efficiently.

Rich people are stupid.

I have a brilliant idea, and I want royaltie$ if this happens, or at least a free ticket.

They should have all 6 films at the theatre at the same time, forever.

If they had a coordinated schedule/system, or even some kind of "Saga-Pass", or ticket which would allow you to come back over the course of like, I dunno', two-week periods at a crack, every nerd on Earth would cycle through them from multiple versions or venues, to different cuts or formats, and end up reinventing and revitalizing the shameless scam that the theatre experience has become of late.

Big ideas need big sentences. Whew. Anyway, do it and pay me.

Btw, it took about a month after I saw TPM3D before I realized how lousy the 12 month gap was going to be. I speculated, and wondered, and never really gave it a second thought because Im old and I dont really get excited about anything that isn't profane in some way, but now that you mention it here, the delay is bugging my nuts.

Well, far be it for me to suggest your nuts be bothered. Yeah, but tieing up that much screen real estate is just not practical - you'd have half the screens in most multiplexes devoted to SW (which, I'll admit doesn't sound too bad to me just in concept).

How about something akin to the trilogy re-release back in the '80s (yes, I'm that damn old); it was an all-day marathon back to back to back and was mind-blowing. Two separate releases, 6 months apart? Oh well, fruitless speculation.

Has anyone heard anything in terms of marketing for AotC? If they really are going to pretend that the performance of TPM would dictate if we got the rest then LFL should be saying something soon.

Oh you dont suggest it, you just highlight it. Said delay has always been a troubling concept, but the reality has now sunk in. At least that's what I meant to say.

Having worked in the movie theatre a long time ago in a multiplex far, far away, I can honestly tell you that doing such a thing, a semi-permanent schedule of sorts, would not hurt anyone's bottom line.

While working at the theatre we ran the films on schedule, even if there was no one there because they were obligated to contractually. Which means most of the crap at your local movie theatre that no one paid to see got played three times a night anyways.

I don't know if they still do that, though, or if that was done everywhere. I quit that job a long, long time ago too.