While, Warner Bros. has decided to send David Yates' Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I into theaters without 3D, the studio isn't leaving the boy wizard's past adventures alone. Variety reports that the studio's home entertainment division has hired Prime Focus to convert Yates' previous Harry Potter films, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, into 3D Blu-ray. Because Yates is still at work on Deathly Hallows: Part II, he won't be able to give his full attention to the 3D conversion until early 2011. However, Variety notes that "the Prime Focus process is flexible enough to permit the director to view shots and ask for adjustments after most work on those shots has been done."
Hit the jump for more on Warner Bros.' plans to turn Harry Potter 3D.
Warner Bros. has kept silent on whether they plan to post-convert the first four Harry Potter movies or if a 3D theatrical re-release is possible for any of the previous entries in the series. However, neither move would be surprising. The studio also hasn't announced when they plan to release the 3D Blu-rays of Order of the Phoenix and Half-Blood Prince. That's a smart move since it gives Prime Focus plenty of time to do a proper job rather than a rush to meet an arbitrary release date. Also, there's no need to get 3D Blu-rays out when 3DTVs still aren't heavily saturating the consumer market.
Prime Focus and Warner Bros. came under strong criticism earlier this year when they released a clearly-rushed and sub-par 3D post-conversion of Clash of the Titans. Since then, the company has been re-building its reputation and no longer accepts rush-jobs.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II opens on July 15, 2011 and is still set for a 3D release.