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Limited release planned for 48fps Hobbit


Well, you can’t change the rules of the game all at once. Warner Bros. announced today through Variety that the first installment of about Peter Jackson‘s 3D, 48fps Hobbit trilogy, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, will only be receiving a limited release at the higher frame rate. The first screening of footage earlier this year had […]

Well, you can’t change the rules of the game all at once. Warner Bros. announced today through Variety that the first installment of about Peter Jackson‘s 3D, 48fps Hobbit trilogy, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, will only be receiving a limited release at the higher frame rate. The first screening of footage earlier this year had many critics saying the upped frame rate made the film look “too real” and that it robbed the film of its cinematic quality.

Jackson, however, remains adamant that it just takes some getting used to. “I’m not worried about it,” he told The Huffington Post, “because when this movie comes out and people see it at 48 frames, they’re actually going to get the experience that I’ve had for the last 18 months. I’m a film guy. I’ve grown up all my life going to the movies, and I think 48 frames is great. So I’ve got to believe I’m not stupid. I have to believe it.”

Still, there are obstacles. Though some theaters will require software upgrades to their projectors to make showing the frame rate possible, more will require entire hardware updates – something not as financially manageable. In other words, unless The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey shows impressive numbers in the exclusive format, they’re not likely to rush to convert. Warner Bros. will therefore use the first installment of the trilogy to test the market in a limited release – whereas the 2D and 3D versions, at standard 24fps, will see a much wider release – before making the decision as to whether films two and three will receive wider releases in the format or not. ~Devin Garabedian

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