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George Lucas to Release 'Star Wars' in 3-D, Beginning in 2012

by Amar Toor on September 29, 2010 at 09:30 AM

star wars in 3-d
Fans eagerly awaiting the release of the 'Star Wars' saga on Blu-Ray now have a major big screen event to look forward to, as well. Sources close to George Lucas tell the Hollywood Reporter that the director is planning to release all six 'Star Wars' movies in 3-D, beginning in 2012. The new releases, logically enough, will begin with Episode I, 'The Phantom Menace,' which is reportedly slated for an early 2012 release. After the first installation hits theaters, Lucas will release the rest of the series in consecutive years, depending on how Episode I fares at the box office. The director apparently decided to convert his films into 3-D after watching 'Avatar.'

Although 3-D films are currently limited to just 2,500 to 3,000 locations in the U.S., theaters are adding the necessary projectors and screens at a rate of 500 per month. Lucas is also counting on 3-D TV sets to become more prevalent within the next few years, as that would allow him to release the converted films on DVD once their run in theaters comes to a close. At this point, though, the future of 3-D TV sales remains unclear, at best. While companies like Sony and Samsung have already begun rolling out new sets, most consumers seem wary of the at-home 3-D experience. Still, we'd imagine that the prospect of watching high-quality 3-D 'Star Wars' films from their living rooms might be enough to change more than a few minds.

Tags: 3-D, 3-dMovies, 3-dTv, 3d, Avatar, film, GeorgeLucas, media, movie, movies, re-release, sci-fi, StarWars, theater, top

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