I’ve sort of been blunt about my shameless Avatar romance. I love the movie, I think it represents the future of moviemaking, and I think it has a good chance of cleaning up at the Oscars. (Check out our interview with James Cameron)
But I think we’ve finally discovered the point at which cutting-edge filmmaking meets lagging infrastructure: The home entertainment system.
News Corp. let slip Monday the news that it currently has no plans to release a 3D DVD copy of Avatar, noting that the technology has not advanced far enough yet to enable a high-quality 3D home viewing experience.
They also said they are in early talks with Cameron to make an Avatar sequel – a sequel that they (not so surprisingly) are encouraging the director to make – and News Corp. execs say they are fully expecting that 60 percent or more of Avatar’s profits have yet to be recorded. Meaning a whole lot more time in movie theaters, and an aggressive DVD push.
My one thought after digesting all this: There is now more reason than ever before, for anyone who loves the film, to rush out over the next month or two and see Avatar again on the biggest screen they can find. A 2D Avatar will never match the wonder of the 3D cut, and with the future of 3D TV looking shaky, is it possible that a small-screen Avatar will never match the glory of the original? Could this be the first DVD-proof epic?