Warners’ decision to open HFR 3D in just 400 theaters domestically is “a blow” to some manufacturers who hoped for a faster roll-out.
[Philip Lelyveld comment: WB has been flying people around the globe to make sure every theatre that does use HFR projection meets their quality-experience standards.]
Warners has decided to offer Hobbit in what is being called HFR 3D as a platform release, using 400 screens domestically, that will include 90 screens from Regal and 92 from AMC along with another 500 in international markets. The majority of theaters will show the movie at the traditional frame rate of 24 fps.
The next two Hobbit films—The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug and The Hobbit: There And Back Again—will both have an HFR release. James Cameron has been a vocal champion and plans to make his Avatar sequels with HFRs. Douglas Trumbull has also said he intends to make movies at HFRs.
Most digital cinematography cameras and a growing number of technologies for the postproduction community already support HFRs. Paul Chapman, senior vp of technology at Burbank-based postproduction facility Fotokem, acknowledged his company is already working on a HFR project.
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