U2 headed to theaters in 3D
U2 fans will get a belated Christmas gift from the group this month in the form of “U23D,” a concert film that creators are billing as “the first live-action movie shot and exhibited in breakthrough digital 3D.”
Captured during the South American leg of U2’s Vertigo Tour, the film will premiere Jan. 18 at Colorado’s Sundance Film Festival, and then will hit theaters in select cities Jan. 23, according to the film’s official website, which is hosted by National Geographic.
Culled from more than 100 hours of footage–shot with “the largest collection of 3D camera technology ever used on a single project,” according to organizers–“U23D” features the band performing a set that includes hits such as “Pride,” “New Year’s Day,” “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” “Streets,” “Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own” and “Vertigo.”
The film will screen “in many of the 1,200-plus theaters around the world equipped with digital 3D projection systems, and will also be seen in IMAX 3D cinemas, which are located in 38 countries,” according to the site.
“Previous generations of 3D film relied heavily on gimmicks, and the limits of the technology resulted in eyestrain–diminishing the life-like qualities,” according to production company 3ality Digital, which, in an overview posted at the film’s website, said it was shot using “cutting-edge technologies … from artificial intelligence that aligns ‘eye position’ of a stereoscopic camera in real time, to first-ever high-res 3D systems with zoom lenses, robotic control, and integrated digital processing.”
“I saw ‘U23D’ and I thought that the 3D effects were not just remarkable, but historic,” screenwriter Frank Miller (“Sin City,” “300”) was quoted as saying at the film’s website. “The film has ushered in a new era for 3D.”
In related news, U2 has sweetened the pot for paying members of its U2.com fan club by issuing a members-only, limited-edition, double-live CD. Titled “U2 Go Home,” the collection houses 20 live tracks.
In November, U2 marked the 20th anniversary of its hugely successful 1987 album, “The Joshua Tree,” by issuing an expanded, remastered edition of the set, details for which are available at the group’s site.
Last month, U2 picked up a pair of Grammy nominations in the Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals category for “Window in the Skies,” a new song included on the best-of set “U218 Singles,” and “Instant Karma,” a cover song that appears on the Amnesty International Darfur benefit album of the same name.
U2’s most recent studio album is 2004’s “Vertigo.” The group is currently working on a follow-up, the release date for which has not been announced.
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