‘Jurassic Park’ Will Return To Theaters in 3D Next Year

Thanks to ‘The Adventures of Tintin,’ Steven Spielberg’s got a 3D itch he needs to scratch. Universal now reveals that the Oscar-winning storyteller plans to release an enhanced 3D version of his dinosaur classic ‘Jurassic Park’ near the 20-year anniversary of its initial release.

According to The Hollywood Reporter the studio has circled July 19, 2013 as a release date for the souped-up cut of Spielberg’s popcorn thriller. (The original hit on June 11, 1993.) And now, the debates can begin. First, if Spielberg plans on diving into his catalogue and post-converting to 3D, would you want him to start with ‘Park’? Purists might go with ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind’ or even ‘Jaws’. While not my favorite Spielberg film, I think some of the action set pieces from his ‘War of the Worlds’ remake lend itself to 3D, while classics such as ‘E.T.’ or the Indian Jones trilogy would be a natural fit. Not ‘Crystal Skull,’ though. No one needs that nuked fridge flying off of the screen.

Secondly, we have to question the process of post-conversion 3D. The finest 3D out there right now, from Martin Scorsese’s ‘Hugo’ to a handful of animated films, rolled in the technology during the filming process. James Cameron’s about to blow the lid off of the industry (again) with his post-converted ‘Titanic’. For all we know, Spielberg has seen something in Cameron’s efforts that has convinced him it’s possible. Clearly he’s not doing it to cash in on the increased ticket prices, so for now, I’m giving Spielberg the benefit of the doubt.

As a result of the ‘Park’ date (and Paramount’s decision to shift around Tom Cruise’s planned ‘One Shot’), Universal also had to juggle the release of their ‘Oblivion,’ a fantasy that casts Cruise as one of the last human survivors of an alien attack on our planet. Once set for April 26, 2013, the pic has been bumped back a few weeks to July 10, 2013 instead.