Panasonic Corp. has signed on James Cameron and his upcoming film, 'Avatar', in an advertising blitz for its TVs equipped with 3-D technology. Panasonic is planning to start selling 3-D TVs in 2010, while the Blu-ray Disc Association is hard at work hammering out a final specification for 3-D, which might be adopted as early as
late this year.
'Avatar', for which the
teaser trailer just went online, is set for release December 18. It will be the first major non-animation film (albeit undoubtedly CGI-laden) debuting worldwide in both 2-D and 3-D.
"I believe 3-D is how we will experience movies, gaming and computing in the near future. 3-D is not something you watch. It's a reality you feel you could step into," Cameron said on video.
Panasonic is hoping its collaboration with Cameron will give it an edge in brand image as a 3-D leader as well as in obtaining suggestions for technological improvements for home TVs, said General Manager Masayuki Kozuka. "We want to get global interest rolling," he told The Associated Press. "For people to want to watch 3-D at home, the movie has to be a blockbuster."
Panasonic plans to have several trailer-vans driving around in the US and Europe next month with large-screen 3-D TVs inside showing 'Avatar.' In Japan, footage from the movie will appear in ads for 3-D TVs.
Details on a 3-D Blu-ray release of "Avatar" have not been set.