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The 3D version of Independence Day has reportedly been cancelled, with studios opting to ditch the 3D remake of the 1996 Will Smith-em up. Now that’s what I call a close encounter!
Den of Geek reports that Fox is ditching the flick, which was slated for a 3 July release next year. I’ve contacted 20th Century Fox to request confirmation that the project is hurtling bin-ward, and I’ll update this story when I hear back. There are two Independence Day sequels reportedly in the works, though it’s not clear yet what’s happening with them.
Independence Day, which is famous for being the first film in which Will Smith punches an alien, wasn’t filmed using fancy 3D cameras, which means the film would have been post-converted — a process that involves using computer software to make a guess at which bits of a scene should be in the background and which should pop out.
Post-conversation 3D films often look naff as a result. I’ve seen a few successful efforts, notably Titanic 3D, though it took 60 weeks and about £11m to make that particular movie work, and I’m not convinced Independence Day would have enjoyed the same careful renovation (think Will Smith’s victory cigar waggling in your face).
3D films can make a lot of cash, but it’s rare that I meet anyone who’s really excited about paying extra to see a three-dimensional flick, and I suspect there are many people out there who would be more than happy to see the trend scrapped.
If a studio scraps a plan to pump out a 3D conversion of a film that earned $104.3m (about £65.5m) in a week, perhaps that’s a sign that the phenomenon is on the wane. Don’t throw away your dorky cinema specs just yet though — The Hobbit, Thor: The Dark Worlds, Monsters University, The Great Gatsby, Iron Man 3 and Star Trek Into Darkness will all hit the big screen in triple dimensions, while Jurassic Park 3D (due in April) is proof that 3D remakes aren’t dead yet.
There are signs that the tech industry is bored of 3D however, with a number of major companies seemingly switching their focus to 4K, or Ultra High Definition, which is just like HD but with twice as much D.
Will 3D films go quietly into the night? Or are they going to live on? Tell me in the comments below, or on our Facebook wall, but not before watching Bill Pullman deliver his career opus.
