James Cameron Converting Classic Sci-Fi Movie to 3D Would Be Great for Theaters

James Cameron is considering whether to convert one of his classic sci-fi movies to 3D. Considering his prowess with the software, Cameron should absolutely pursue this endeavor.

The Oscar-winning filmmaker is arguably the best director working with 3D in Hollywood. 3D was originally pitched as a format that would change the way audiences watched movies forever. Despite a strong resurgence in the 2000s, 3D has declined in popularity over the last 15 years due to its high cost and the inability to recreate the experience at home.

Cameron is in a league of his own when it comes to 3D, with much of his success coming in the Avatar franchise. The 3D visuals in 2009’s Avatar are absolutely breathtaking and resulted in an Oscar win for Best Visual Effects. Cameron filmed and released all three Avatar movies in 3D. The first two films in the franchise are the first- and third-highest-grossing films of all time, respectively. The third movie ranks 16th at $1.5 billion.

Cameron now wants to apply this 3D technology to one of his groundbreaking sci-fi movies, Aliens.

Why would converting Aliens to 3D be great for theaters?

While speaking with Letterboxd, Cameron shared his thoughts about converting Aliens to 3D.

“We are thinking about converting Aliens [to 3D] because I know now that the tools are so much better than they were for creating depth maps,” Cameron said. “We’re probably going to wind up converting Aliens, which will be a fun experience. That film seems to be evergreen. People still go back to it a lot. If people remember a movie that I did 38 years ago, I think I’ve already won [an] argument.”

Released in 1986, Aliens is the sequel to 1979’s Alien, Ridley Scott‘s landmark sci-fi movie. While Scott’s movie leans into horror, Cameron’s adventure is more of a sci-fi action story, as Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) and a group of marines fight an entire species of aliens that decimated a human colony.

If anyone can apply 3D technology to an older film and find success, it’s Cameron. When Cameron releases a movie in 3D, it tends to make money, which is good for struggling theaters. In 2012, Cameron released Titanic in 3D. The film grossed over $350 million worldwide and remains the highest-grossing rerelease of all time.

In 2017, Cameron also remastered Terminator 2: Judgment Day in 3D, though it failed to reach the heights of Titanic.

The talk of converting Aliens to 3D comes as the movie approaches its 40th anniversary in July. Rereleases for anniversaries have become lucrative endeavors for theaters. Last year, Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith returned to theaters for its 20th anniversary and grossed over $55 million worldwide.

Could an Aliens rerelease do similar business? It’s unclear, but Hollywood has learned to never bet against Cameron at the box office.

Source: Comingsoon.net