George Lucas plans to re-release the entire "Star Wars" franchise in 3D beginning in 2012, according to both Variety and the Hollywood Reporter.
20th Century Fox released all six of the original "Star Wars" films and would release the 3D conversions as well.
The ambitious plan will start with "Episode 1: The Phantom Menace," followed in order by the rest of the series, with one film coming out each year. That means that the original "Star Wars" wouldn't debut until 2015, which could be too late if the last three films underperform at the box office.
It's unclear when during the calendar year the films would be released, but a Lucasfilm spokesperson told Variety that each movie will open wide and "as close to day and date (worldwide) as possible."
The hope is to reintroduce the franchise to young audiences who have only seen "Star Wars" on TV and DVD.
Lucas will personally oversee the process, which takes at least a year to complete per film. The theatrical re-releases are just the beginning, as advances in 3D television technology have the filmmaker hoping to create the ultimate home viewing experience.
Oddly enough, while John Knoll, the visual effects supervisor for Lucasfilm's Industrial Light & Magic, will be overseeing the actual conversion, the process itself will be done by outside vendors.
Knoll will apply his own aesthetic to the conversions in the home of making the 3D experience more immersive than jarring. He also told Variety that there are no plans to add or fix visual effects in the films, which should please fans who were upset when Lucas made a few digital tweaks to the original trilogy.
