Good news, "Rogue One" and "Star Wars: Episode VIII" fans! Deluxe's 3D business Stereo D confirmed last Monday that it has closed a deal with Lucasfilm and The Walt Disney Studios to create the 3D editions of the two highly-anticipated films.
"Disney is a big fan of 3D film," said Eric Handler of MKM partners.
Aside from the recent box office hit "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," Deluxe also worked with director J.J. Abrams on "Star Trek: Into Darkness." It also collaborated with Lucasfilm's visual effects house Industrial Light & Magic to create the 3D conversions of Marvel's "The Avengers" and "Captain America: The Winter Soldier."
Deluxe was a major player in the release of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens." Unlike the previous "Star Wars" movies, the seventh episode of the franchise made its debut in 3D last December 18.
"As someone who really hasn't been the most vocal advocate of 3D, the strangest thing happened to me on this. When I was watching the reels in 3D, there were a number of shots -- and I know this sounds insane -- that I hadn't understood in the three-dimensional space quite the way I did when I saw them in 3D. I actually felt that there were things that were playing better in 3D. I have never felt that before," Abrams explained his decision.
"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" was released in three different formats. A majority of movie theaters played it in Imax 3D, while about 20 locations played it in Imax 70mm film and another 20 Imax theaters used laser projection. Abrams shot one key sequence of the movie with Imax cameras, and any fan who watched the movie in an Imax location saw the movie expand to take up the entire screen during that particular sequence.
Gareth Edwards' "Rogue One" is scheduled to be released on December 16, 2016 while "Star Wars: Episode VIII" from director Rian Johnson is scheduled to be released on May 26, 2017.