Although I promised I wouldn't write too many blog posts like this anymore, I got enough e-mails from people yesterday asking what happened to the IMAX 3D version of "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore," and why I failed to mention that as the first IMAX 3D release in more than two years in my blog post yesterday (this morning...?). Well, I didn't mention it because there is no IMAX 3D version...or any 3D version of this movie! I can't even find evidence of a 3D release in China. It seems that for whatever reason, "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore" will be forgoing a 3D release altogether. No, I don't know why this is the case, but then, Harry Potter movies have not been very consistent when it comes to being presented in 3D. For the first four movies Harry Potter was a strictly 2D affair. "Avatar" hadn't come out yet and 3D was largely limited to IMAX films.
With "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" the films dipped their toe into 3D effects by having the climax be presented in 3D exclusively at IMAX locations. "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" continued that format by having the opening sequence in IMAX 3D (while normal theaters got the film fully in 2D). These 3D sequences were praised by fans and critics alike, and once James Cameron made 3D cool again for theaters, Warner Bros. committed to ending the series in 3D. That said, while "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1" was advertised as being in 3D, the film makers decided that the 3D wasn't of the quality they wanted it to be. Not wanting to be responsible for another "Clash of Titans," 'Deathly Hallows - Part 1' was released in 2D only (it would eventually get a BluRay 3D releases, where the results were praised as...fine).
Harry Potter finally made the leap to full 3D everywhere with "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2," and the movies have been in 3D ever since. It has become so expected for Harry Potter to be in 3D that a Chinese re-release...
...presented audiences with a brand-new IMAX 3D remaster. Oh, and to get ahead so that I don't have to write another post on this: No, I am not aware of this version being available to purchase on BluRay 3D (but if I'm wrong please point me in the right direction). Aside from this, the first two 'Fantastic Beasts' movies were also released in 3D (though they were released at a time when IMAX was starting to phase out 3D showings).
This means that Harry Potter movies have been released either partly or fully in 3D since 2007!
For reasons I am not clear on, a fifteen YEAR tradition has come to an end! Why? I have no idea. I suppose Warner Bros. must have felt on some level a 3D conversion wasn't worth the money. If there is a fourth 'Fantastic Beasts' movie it will likely also be 2D only. I know this is going to be a bit of a disappointment, but what are you going to do at this point? If you want to see it you'll just have to see it in the 2D format or not at all. Course, this DOES mean you don't have to choose between IMAX/Dolby Cinema or a standard 3D screen, so that's kind of nice! But, yeah, it appears there will be no more 3D Harry Potter projects in the near future. It was fun while it lasted (even if it seems odd to end the tradition now).
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