The Hobbit to be shown in new HFR 3D format at Odeon cinemas across the UK
With Peter Jackson's return to Middle Earth arriving soon in cinemas, Odeon and UCI Cinemas have announced that The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey will be released in High Frame Rate (HFR 3D) across a 100 of its screens in Europe.
The flagship Odeon cinema at Leicester Square in London will be one of a total of 37 cinemas across the UK showing the HFR 3D version of The Hobbit.
Presenting the film at 48 frames per second (fps), this doubles the rate at which film productions have traditionally been shot (24 fps).
Being the first film to do so, The Hobbit promises incredible detail, getting closer to replicating what the human eye sees, while also claiming added benefits for 3D viewers by way of a reduction in the amount of eye strain and fatigue experienced.
The HFR 3D version of The Hobbit will also be shown at a number of Odeon digital IMAX sites, including Odeon ISENSE screens.
Odeon Chief Executive Rupert Gavin, said: "By embracing the HFR 3D format, we are offering The Hobbit fans the most choice of any cinema chain in Europe and ultimately the opportunity to enjoy it in whichever format they choose.”
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey opens on December 13th and will be screened in HFR 3D nationwide and you can book tickets now.
Fulll list of participating Odeon cinemas:
Bath, Belfast, Birmingham Broadway Plaza, Blackpool, Bournemouth, Braehead, Brighton, Cardiff, Chelmsford, Dundee (Douglas Field), Dunfermline, Glasgow Quay, Greenwich, Guildford, Hatfield, Huddersfield, Kensington, Kettering, Kingston, Leicester Square, Lincoln, Liverpool One, Manchester Printworks, Marble Arch, Metrocentre Norwich, Oxford Magdalen St, Silverlink, Southampton, Surrey Quays, Taunton, Trafford Centre, Tunbridge Wells, Uxbridge, Whiteleys - The Lounge, Wimbledon, Wrexham Eagles Meadow.
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Comments
Oh and you forgot to mention that the only place to hear it in the new Dolby Atmos surround sound system in the UK is The Empire in Leicester Square.
@Nick_Shepherd,
No, Real D is only one of the playback systems used in cinemas, nothing to do with the way the film was shot. Yes, The Hobbit was shot in 3D and not rendered from 2D so it is true 3D, but was shot at double the frame rate which both removes motion judder and improves background detail considerably. The downside is that the camera apertures are wide open as more light is required which gives it it's 'made for TV' very sharp but slightly artificial edge.
There are a number of different 3D systems used for playback which will differ depending on which cinema you go to to see it. Real D and Master Image both use a method of circular light polarisation, XpanD uses active glasses with shutters that close each eye alternately at speed and Dolby 3D uses colour spectrum filtration where the left eye only sees low spectrum red, green and blue and the right eye only sees high spectrum red, green and blue. Each system has its advantages and disadvantages.
Crikey bb, let's not get into that one again...
Even Cineworld is showing it in 48fps:
http://www.cineworldnet.com/hobbit-info.pdf
A nearby Empire cinema is also showing it, why only mention of Odeon cinemas. I believe certain Vue cinemas are also showing it too. My advice would be to check your local cinemas and see who is showing it if you want to watch it in HFR.
HFR3D has been shot at 48fps instead of conventional 24fps, eliminating motion judder completely. As mentioned, the reviews have been mixed. I will check it out at my local cinema.
I can't see Manchester Printworks In the list of participating cinemas on Odeon site.
Yes, the reviews have been mixed. See strapped, that's what happens when Directors deviate away from your "favourite" 24fps format, despite it being "as the Director intended"!
So whats's the difference between HFR3D and Real D? Is The Hobbit filmed in 3D or converted?
as I understand it, Real D means its filmed with a 3D camera, so it's good, and anything else is converted, so not good...
According to several reviews, The Hobbit is far from an unqualified success in 48fps 3D, often looking more like video than film and revealing the artificial nature of sets, make up and costumes. Since my local Odeon is showing the film in this format, however, I'm intrigued enough to give it a go. Thanks for the listing of participating cinemas.