LucasArts Announces That All Six Star Wars Movies Will be Re-Released in Theaters in 3D

*Originally published on 10/11/10



Lucasarts announced, not too long ago, that the entire Star Wars saga was going to hit theaters again in 2012. The kicker is that they will be in 3-D.

Naturally, fans are upset. Had it been the original trilogy, they might have been able to get away with it. There would still be grumbling, but it would be perfunctory. Instead, all six movies are going to be released. In addition, each movie is going to be released on an annual basis.

Had this been announced last year, it probably would've gone over much better. At this point, the shine is really starting to come off of the 3-D apple. Whatever good will Avatar may have earned in terms of selling the idea that 3-D is the next step in film viewing has been burnt, destroyed, and beaten with a rusty barbed wire bat by Hollywood executives.

Moviegoers have been burned time and time again by the lure of 3-D only to see a blurry mess that spends a lot of it's time in 2 dimensions, only occasionally popping out.

As I said, had this been announced months ago, it would've been a better sell. To be honest, the more I think about it, the more I think it would actually be kind of cool. With all of the space battles and lasers firing at the screen, you'll actually get to see things come out at you.

The problem is that at this point, we see 3-D for what it is, a fad that Hollywood is trying to push so that they can jack up ticket prices (as if they weren't already too high as it was).

Now, a lot of people point their finger at Lucas, and it's understandable. He's sort of the poster boy for someone who comes off as only being in it for the money.

The fact that they are waiting until 2012 to begin releasing these does give viewers some hope. It sends a message that they want to make sure it's done right to give viewers the most bang for their buck. It's a good sign, but also a bad move as I wouldn't be surprised if 3-D is phased out by that point. The way studios are forcing it down our throats, I'm certain that people will tire of it and the idea will float away like dust in the wind.

Will these movies make money? Most likely. As much as the prequels get bashed, there are still ardent fans who stand by it. If done well, the 3-D might look pretty cool, but I don't see this working out as well as the studios think it will. Either that, or it will re-affirm the idea that 3-D is a game changer and the detractors will have to deal with even more major releases with that feature.