Guillermo del Toro Blown Away By AVATAR, Says No Native 3D For THE HOBBIT*. 3D Conversion Still Alive...

Jim here. Well my best sources are hardly ever wrong - and if they are it is because they have been told one thing when another thing altogether is the truth.

I have defended my sources on this site and my friends over at TheOneRing.net because I value their opinion over there. Indeed Peter Jackson and Guillermo del Toro often visit and post their thoughts there.

And so when I posted on THE HOBBIT being made in stereoscopic 3D, TORn decided to email GDT and check it out. Well his answer left probably more questions that answers and led to quite a discussion afterwards in the forums. However, to GDT's credit, he replied not once but twice in the forums to the ongoing debate: Will THE HOBBIT be in 3D?

Long story short: GDT says this - "Actually, in all my interactions in the site I may have gotten myself in trouble because of my enthusiasm but not any sidestepping. As a co-writer and director of this film (who works with the design teams, costume teams, creature teams, VFX teams every day of the week), let me be very clear one more time: we are not talking about 3D, we are NOT writing the screenplay for 3D right now- we are hiring my DoP Guillermo Navarro to shoot the film and we are not discussing 3D with him either or with WETA digital or WB or anyone else. That should be a little less sidestepping, I hope. If after AVATAR the market may change and demands are put upon us, etc that is in the future. But if such things happen and we start discussing 3D down the line, I'll let it be know here at TORN because that's the proper way of doing things. But make no mistake- I've been living in NZ for almost a year now and we have not been discussing 3D. When we do, I'll make sure your source finds out. Thank You Guillermo "

So it seems that native 3D is out *for now*, unless PJ and the studio pushes for it. My conclusion? My sources were clear - it will be in 3D. So that leaves 2D to 3D conversion and it makes the most sense in some respects. It appeases the fans that want a 2D continuity for the LOTR trilogy (even though that too is being converted to 3D) as well as the 3D fans like us.

Guillermo is a class act as always. His second post on the thread supports what I am doing here with MarketSaw and underscores just how good AVATAR will be:

"I believe Jim is defending what he believes to be true. He is a knowledgeable, passionate film-lover and perhaps his source in this case is also someone that would love to see the HOBBIT films happen in 3D. Perhaps so- Jim has been right in the past and he may be right in the future. He is dead-on about the imminent conversion of film into an expanding 3-D field - at least in most blockbusters and I know of, at least, 4 or 5 major filmmakers preparing 3D films right now. Some of them seriously artistic and ungimmicky!! I've seen AVATAR and I was absolutely blow away by it!! I myself expect to explore 3D soon enough- it is the future, just not my immediate future. I promise to you guys and Jim to let you know if anything changes in that or any regard,,, And no- neither David Tennant nor Tom Cruise are Bilbo and we are not redesigning Gollum. My best wishes to all- GDT"

I appreciate his candor and professionalism. I also invited him to contact me directly at any time. However, I remain steadfast in my guarantee that THE HOBBIT will be 3D and that now it seems to be pointing to conversion. I have reached out to my sources again for anything new on the subject. Stay tuned!