Harry Potter’s 3D future took a turn for the worse when Warner (wisely) chose not to rush finishing up the conversion on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, opting instead to release the film exclusively in 2D.
In a surprisingly quick move, Variety is reporting Warner Home Video has engaged Prime Focus to covert Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince to 3D for an eventual Blu-ray 3D release. Work is already underway on Half-Blood Prince.
Prime Focus is the same company who took considerable heat for their lackluster rushed conversion of Clash of the Titans earlier this year. They have since reportedly learned from those mistakes and are working meticulously to ensure conversions to 3D are done right. Part of this new commitment is turning down any “rush” jobs ordered by studios.
With Half-Blood Prince and Phoenix headed to Blu-ray 3D, it would make financial sense for Warner to complete the 3D conversion on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Parts 1 and 2 and then move towards converting the first four Potter films into 3D for Blu-ray. Potter is a huge cash machine for the studio so extending its movie presence several years after the last film debuts theatrically is a no-brainer decision.
