Corona | Coming Attractions

Have you been waiting to experience the danger zone in the third dimension?

A 3D conversion of the 1986 action movie Top Gun is being worked on right now, for theatrical release early in 2012. The company that's doing the conversion is Legend3D, and they have already previewed a four-minute sequence from the movie to hungry theater owners in Amsterdam at the International Broadcasting Convention.

The sequence shown was one of Top Gun's aerial dogfights, a natural choice. The whole movie will get the 3D treatment, so if your tastes run towards watching fighter pilots jump in the air playing beach volleyball, you'll also be satisfied.

While it's been confirmed that a 3D version of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace is being prepared for theatrical release next year, the Top Gun 3D movie marks what could be potentially a whole new wave of 3D pictures. Since its release in '86, Top Gun has been a lucrative title in Paramount Pictures' catalogue, selling hundreds of millions of dollars through home video. There may be an untapped market for converting such well-known 2D movies like Top Gun into 3D, and thus drawing curious audience members back to theaters to pay again to see the film.

And it sounds like it isn't that much of a financial gamble for Top Gun's owner, Paramount Pictures. Legend3D is the one paying to convert Top Gun from 2D to 3D. According to the company's CEO, Legend3D has a revenue sharing agreement worked out with Paramount. "We think there is great potential for catalog titles in 3D, but studios have had trouble justifying the expense," said CEO Rob Hummel.

Also according to Hummel, Top Gun director Tony Scott hasn't given his "approval" just yet for Top Gun 3D.