Lucasfilm Taps Prime Focus To Convert Phantom Menace To 3D

By now, any fan of Star Wars will know that Lucasfilm is getting ready to start releasing the films again in theaters, but this time around, they will be in 3D. A company called Prime Focus has announced that Lucasfilm has tapped it to turn the flicks into 3D.

The company says the selection processor for the films was "exhaustive" and I bet it was. Prime Focus will use its proprietary View-D processes on the film that is currently set for a theatrical release on February 12, 2012. "It was incredibly important to me that we have the technology, the resources and the time to do this right," said Star Wars creator George Lucas. "I'm very happy with the results I've been seeing on Episode I."

Industrial Light & Magic supervisor John Knoll will closely supervisor the 3D conversion of the film. "Getting really good results from stereo conversion requires a lot of attention to detail and it is imperative that you take the time to get it right – and that's just what we're doing," said Knoll. "We're taking a different approach than you might expect. George's vision has been to add dimension to the film in subtle ways. This isn't a novelty conversion, with things jumping out at the audience; our goal has been to enhance the classic Star Wars theatrical experience, utilizing the latest cinematic tools and techniques."