YES! GHOST IN THE SHELL Goes 3D As Well As THE FINEST HOURS and PETE'S DRAGON Remake

The magical crew over at Disney have announced what I had hoped would happen since we started following the project way back when Spielberg had a serious interest - GHOST IN THE SHELL will be released in 3D!

I'm thrilled because not only are we finally seeing movement on the project that has been in limbo for awhile, but it will in fact be 3D. With the recent signing of Scarlett Johansson as the lead and assuming director Rupert Sanders (SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN) stays in place we could see production start in months. The release date is slated for April 14, 2017.

The movie's pedigree is outstanding of course from it's Japanese roots, from writer Laeta Kalogridis being originally involved, and William Wheeler subsequently adapting for the screen.

Here's a brief description of the original story's background:
Ghost in the Shell is a futuristic police thriller dealing with the exploits of Motoko Kusanagi, a member of the covert operations section of the Japanese National Public Safety Commission, Section 9, which specializes in fighting technology-related crime. She may be named after one of the three Imperial Regalia of Japan and Shirow makes reference to them at the end of the second manga. Although supposedly equal to all other members, Kusanagi fills the leadership role in the team, and is usually referred to as "the Major" due to her past rank in the armed forces. She is capable of superhuman feats, and bionically specialized for her job — her body is almost completely mechanized; only her brain and a segment of her spinal cord are organic.

I would have loved to have seen James Cameron's BATTLE ANGEL go up against GITS, but hey - no one can argue with his attention to AVATAR 2, 3 and 4!

Further, Casey Affleck's THE FINEST HOURS moves to replace THE JUNGLE BOOK (also in 3D) which needs more time on it's visual effects. TJB moves to April 15, 2016. THE FINEST HOURS is a drama centered on the Coast Guard and sails in on October 9.

And finally, Disney's Pete's Dragon remake is slated for release on August 12, 2016 in 3D.

More updates, like native 3D / 3D conversion confirmation when I get it!

How to Train Your Dragon First Impressions

UPDATE: Paramount and Dreamworks Animation have offered to reshow the film--in its true S3D form--to people who were at my screening.

Michael here. I just got back from a screening of Dreamworks' How to Train Your Dragon at The Grove in LA, and despite technical issues with the screening I greatly enjoyed the film.

First off, the screening was not in S3D. They handed out Dolby 3D glasses, but there was a mixup and the film was projected only in 2D. I kept waiting for them to fix it, and eventually stepped outside to let the theater employees know. Alas, it turned out that the projectionist thought the film was supposed to be 2D, so no fix was incoming. Funnily enough, at least half of the packed audience kept their glasses on throughout the entire film, apparently not realizing that what they were seeing was not S3D. What this says about general audience education regarding S3D is slightly troubling.

Secondly, the film went black and the sound would cut out for 20 seconds or so a few times throughout the film.

But the movie was charming, funny, and at times possessed a real lyrical beauty. The sequence where the hero, Hiccup, rides his dragon for the first time with his quasi-romantic interest gave me chills--I felt like I was soaring through the skies with them. It's different from the banshee flying sequence from Avatar, but is similarly awe inspiring. The CG is incredible throughout the film, especially the Vikings with their knotted beards and fur lined outfits.

But, most importantly, the movie has a real soul to it. I cared about Hiccup and his dragon, Toothless (which has an awesome design), and wanted the Vikings to see the error of their dragon-fighting ways. I also wanted a dragon of my own. The film is, on a fundamental level, about the relationship between a boy and his amazing, super-special pet. In fact, this type of dragon is legendary in the Viking lore, as it has never been glimpsed. The "taming" sequences between Toothless and Hiccup are a joy to behold, especially for those of us who have owned pets.

The film is probably the darkest of the Dreamworks CG animated films in both the production design and plot: the story revolves around the fact that Vikings and dragons have been killing each other for years. It also shows the consequences of battle; for instance, in a character who is missing an arm and a leg. And the final confrontation is very intense, with lives on the line throughout. The story itself is also mature, dealing with the relationship between Hiccup and his dragon-killing Viking father who wants him to follow in his footsteps, but has only been dissappointed in his son thus far. The story is also a coming of age tale, showing Hiccup's growth as he learns to stand by what he believes is right.

The movie has many funny moments. Thankfully all of the laughs in the film come from the plot and the characters, not cheap gags or pop-culture references.

My only criticism of the film is that what turns out to be the "bad guy" is not given enough explanation. I was hoping to learn more about this creature. But the battle with it does make for a thrilling action sequence.

I missed about 10 minutes of the film while trying to get them to turn on the 3D, but I was so caught up in the story that I watched the rest of the movie in 2D anyway instead of holding out for a pristine viewing experience, just to see what would happen. This, in my opinion, is the mark of a successful film. I look forward to seeing this again (Dreamworks has offered to show it in its true S3D form), this time in gorgeous S3D.