One significant perk about attending screenings at the Toronto International Film Festival is that 98% of the films are screened in glorious 2D. Outside of Wim Wenders’ well-received documentary Pina, the majority of the arthouse movies and awards hopefuls avoided the obnoxious visual tool, which is currently being used by studios to wring a few extra dollars out of theater patrons paying for summer blockbuster eye candy.
But there are signs that 3D is making a move toward more serious pictures, and the fall film season – a time reserved for more-mature fare – might not be able to escape the horrid, headache-inducing technology much longer. For instance, Martin Scorsese (Scorsese!!) has caved in to 3D, shooting his upcoming family fantasy Hugo in the enhanced format. And now we’re hearing rumors that another Oscar-winning director is contemplating shooting an anticipated feature in 3D.
MarketSaw, a blog dedicated to coverage of 3D movies and entertainment, is reporting that The King’s Speech director Tom Hooper is "strongly leaning toward going with" 3D for his planned rendition of Les Miserables, which so far has attracted Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe to the legendary roles of Jean Valjean and Javert, respectively. Universal already has circled Dec. 7, 2012 as a release date for the film, which reportedly is attempting to lure Anne Hathaway (for Fantine), Helena Bonham Carter (for Mme. Thenardier), Geoffrey Rush (for Thenardier) and Emma Watson.
Would Les Mis stand out in 3D? Sure. But could the glasses needed to utilize the technology dampen the visual appeal of Hooper’s cinematography? Absolutely yes. MarketSaw says it's receiving this bit of news from a source close to the cinematography side of the production. But since this production is still in early stages of development, we need to treat this as a rumor until we hear something solid from Universal. What do you think? Would a 3D Les Miserables from Hooper make you more or less likely to see it?
