Warner Bros. had a choice when it came to Man of Steel: Go massive, like The Avengers, and blow out the presentation in 3D and IMAX; or respect the purity of the filmed image, like The Dark Knight Rises and put Zack Snyder’s anticipated Superman movie out in traditional 2D. Care to guess which direction they chose?
As we reported back in July, Man of Steel will arrive in theaters in 3D and IMAX, as confirmed by a press release sent out by Warner Bros. this afternoon.
““The film is going to be a visually exciting experience in all formats: 2D, 3D and IMAX,” Snyder said in the announcement. “Anticipating how audiences today embrace 3D, we designed and photographed the movie in a way that would allow Man of Steel to captivate those movie goers, while respecting fans who prefer a more traditional cinematic experience. We’ve taken great measures to ensure the film and the story come first, and 3D is meant as an enhancement.”
Now, this reverses the opinion Snyder once had of post-conversion 3D, which he resisted for his Sucker Punch. Of course, times change and technologies improve. As I wrote about in the Wreck-It Ralph To 3D column, the dimensional format can add depth when used properly. And the idea of 3D flying scenes – or fight scenes – in a Superman movie are, to be honest, thrilling.
Hopefully Snyder and his team started thinking in terms of 3D and IMAX early enough in the planning process so that Man of Steel justifies the presentation, and the extra ticket price. Henry Cavill plays Clark Kent an Superman in Snyder’s Man of Steel, which co-stars Amy Adams, Kevin Costner, Michael Shannon, Diane Lane and Russell Crowe as Jor-El. It opens everywhere on June 14, 2013.
