Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Nutcracker: The 3D IMAX Experience (or, Robert Zemeckis Wants Christmas Cash)

I recently wrote about Robert Zemeckis and his filmography. More specifically, how I wish he would leave behind his obsession of the decade of 3D animated classic (Polar Express, Beowolf, and 2009's A Christmas Carol).

And lo and behold the bad news I hear today...Zemeckis is rumored to be working on a big screen adaptation of The Nutcracker.

Yes, that's right, another feature length Zemeckis Christmas movie.

Apparently, his intentions are not to bring Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite to the big screen, but instead a faithful adaptation of it's source 1816 source material Nutcracker and Mouse King by E. T. A. Hoffman.

Honestly, I'm surprised this hasn't been done up recently on the big screen. I can see how when Zemeckis and studio execs start brainstorming there holiday line-ups how they could easily be allured by such an idea.

It's practically Toy Story: The Prequel (and because Zemeckis works with Tom Hanks, who knows, this version of the Nutcracker might even have Woody the Cowboy).

So with A Christmas Carol number one at the box office sweeping in over $30 million opening weekend (the first weekend in November, mind you) I can say, Zemeckis is probably wondering why he wasted all that creativity with films like Back to the Future, Contact, and Forrest Gump.

Photo from Voice of Dance.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I think a movie version of the Nutcracker (3D or not) is a horrible idea. Even if it based on the book and not the ballet...people know and love the story from the ballet.

Part of the charm and entertaining value of the Nutcracker is to see the ballet version live. The atmosphere of the live performance is what makes the Nutcracker.

I for one would have no interest in the movie version.