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Steven Soderbergh Hops On 3D Bandwagon With a Cleopatra Musical

There’s nothing in Cleopatra that screams out for 3D, unlike say, Soderbergh’s currently in-production The Girlfriend Experience starring porn star Sasha Grey. So why’s he doing it?
By  · Published on October 24th, 2008

Sigh.

Variety is reporting that Steven Soderbergh is planning a 3D rock musical about Cleopatra. He’s currently trying to woo Catherine Zeta-Jones to play the Egyptian queen and Hugh Jackman to play Marc Antony. The music for the film is being written by the band Guided By Voices (who supposedly disbanded in 2004, which means it’s probably all being written by their main songwriter, Robert Pollard).

3D films are going to be annoying for the next few years as everyone and every studio tries to work it into every film on their slate. They need to realize that 3D is a gimmick, nothing more, and will never be as important or integral to the film-going experience as sound or color was (regardless of what Brendan Fraser says). 3D works for films that cater to that gimmick, films that feature solid action from beginning to end. That’s why it’s a smart play for films like Journey to the Center of the Earth, My Bloody Valentine, and most children’s animated features. They’re inherently visual and kinetic in ways that many movies aren’t.

But a Cleopatra musical? There’s nothing there that screams out for 3D, unlike say, Soderbergh’s currently in-production The Girlfriend Experience starring porn star Sasha Grey… that film needs to be in 3D. Hell, even his Ocean’s Eleven films would have made more sense with all their action and hijinks. (3D cleavage in Erin Brockovich would have worked too). But a Cleopatra musical?

What do you think about the future of 3D films? Can it benefit any film?

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Rob Hunter has been writing for Film School Rejects since before you were born, which is weird seeing as he's so damn young. He's our Chief Film Critic and Associate Editor and lists 'Broadcast News' as his favorite film of all time. Feel free to say hi if you see him on Twitter @FakeRobHunter.