Back in July, GST favorite Guillermo Del Toro talked to Collider about his upcoming kaiju film, Pacific Rim, specifically speaking to his decision to forsake the use of 3D technology. The short version is that employing 3D technology to shoot robots of the size he has in mind could lead to issues with scale and perspective in the finished picture, something that any smart filmmaker and artist wisely wants to avoid. But the integrity of Del Toro’s vision and the passion of his sentiment wasn’t enough to defend his project from Warner Bros’ bean counters, as the studio is aiming to give the film the post-conversion treatment in time for its mid-July 2013 release.
At times we have to remember that filmmaking is a business, and that that duality between the creative and the commercial intersect more often than not. Most likely, WB’s financial officers are all too aware of the fact that some countries (notably China) will only screen American films if they’re in 3D or IMAX, and that foreign grosses are coming to represent more and more of the final box office tallies for blockbusters and popcorn films. In other words, they know where their bread is buttered, but that doesn’t make me like the decision any more.
I know I’ll seek Pacific Rim out in 2D on release– if it’s good enough for GDT, it’s good enough for me. What about the rest of you? Does the prospect of a 3D conversion make Pacific Rim even more of a must-see? Or are you as against post-conversion as I am?
(Sources: Variety, First Showing.)
