James Cameron Working on Two 3D Sci-Fi Films
Director James Cameron (Terminator, Aliens) is working on two new science fiction films. Battle Angel and Project 880. Both films are to be shot in 3-D using custom designed high-definition cameras and they are currently being worked on in parallel.
Cameron has been working on Battle Angel (based on the popular Japanese Manga series) about a girl who morphs into an action heroine (Cameron does like his strong female protagonists). Currently Cameron has reworked the script written by Laeta Kalogridis and its possible that Battle Angel could be the first of a new film franchise.
Project 880 on the other hands is a working title for a new project, the storyline for which is currently unknown. Although the project is less developed it is possible that Cameron might shoot that film first since Battle Angel has proved difficult to adapt to film.
James Cameron has been exploring 3-D film technology ever since T-2 3-D, a 12 minute short for Universal Studios Theme Parks in 1996. Sinc ethen he has made two 3-D Imax documentaries, Ghosts of the Abyss and Aliens of the Deep.
Eoghann Irving is amongst other things the creator and Editor of Solar Flare. He has a life long interest in all forms of science fiction and fantasy and a pressing need to share this interest with anyone who will listen. Find out more at his personal website eoghann.com..
2 Comments, Comment or Ping
Allan Silliphant
Cameron may be waiting a long time before these projects are “Greenlighted”. He seems to be hung up on using digital projection for these projects. In my opinion,
1/3 or more of the theaters will close in the next 3 to 5 years if something like 3D doesn’t pump up the theater business. Just as small single screen theaters became neighborhood
churches or furniture stores in the fifties, the multiplex cinema can’t compete with the HD movies that will be playing at home very soon. Only something like 3D can
deliver an experience dificult to deliver on the new home wide-screens. A cheap practical alternative actually exists to digital 3D. It is a simple upgrade of regular 35MM
movies. 3D looks great when shown on a taller frame. The new format has two wide-screen images set one above the other on regular film. The projector moves a six specket hole
frame instead of a standard 4. This increases the size of the film image to 1.60 times the present size . The prints cost 1.60 times as much but the 3D is stunning. No
funny coloed glasses. In effect it a minaturized IMAX 3D, but only costing about 1/8 as much for a print. If Cameron and George Lucas would get real about 3D, and defer
the big digital switch-over, maybe the neighbor-hood multi-cinema would be able to remain in business. It is so ezsy to render a Pixar movie or a Shrek to 3D, and CGI
heavy action movies would be stunning. New technology allows converting films to 3D for perhaps a couple million dollars, if they re shown on the smaller 35mm 6 perf. format.
That process uses the old Cinemara pull down mechanism, and can be installed for just a few thousand dollars in any theater with conventional projection.Look into it James!
Jun 26th, 2005
Eoghann
You make some excellent points about the threat that large screen HD televisions (and HD DVDs) may pose to multiplexes. The cinema still does hold one card though and that is the scale.
I don’t often go to the cinema myself, but I went to see Revenge of the Sith, because even with a 51″ widescreen tv, it just isn’t the same as watching in a cinema. That was the same reason that I went to see Return of the King in a theater too.
But those are the exceptions I guess, big spectacular films. Many films don’t have that selling point.
Jun 26th, 2005
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