Roland Emmerich prepping Isaac Asimov’s Foundation, doing so in 3D

Last Updated on July 26, 2021

And the 3D beat goes on…

In what’s become more rampant in Hollywood than f*ckin’ plastic surgery, yet another massive-scale spectacle flick is getting the 3D treatment. This time it’s at the hands of Roland Emmerich (INDEPENDENCE DAY, 2012), who’s set to adapt Isaac Asimov’s 3-part science fiction work FOUNDATION. Anyone stunned?

According to MTV Movies Blog, Emmerich directly cites Jimmy Cameron’s Earth shattering AVATAR and its 3D technology as the impetus behind such a project.

“The ‘Avatar’ technology applies to ‘Foundation.’ It has to be done all CG because I would not know how to shoot this thing in real.”

Having reveled in giant visual FX based films in the past, Emmerich continues:

“Probably now all big movies have to be 3-D. It’s not only the effect of 3-D, [‘Avatar’ has] just shown that if you do a movie in 3-D, you can ask for more money and that’s the trick. I think now everybody who does bigger movies has to shoot them in 3-D. I think there’s no way around it. I was on the set of ‘Avatar’ and I saw how it worked and I really thought, ‘That’s the ultimate way of making movies.’ ”

Damn. As strongly opposed as I am to tent pole films being solely filmed in 3D, I’m afraid there’s some merit to what Emmerich is saying. Sadly, this is where the industry is headed, and the only thing I can think to say about it is…flicks are for kids!

Robert Rodat (SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, WARCRAFT) wrote the script for FOUNDATION, with plans to deliver it to Emmerich tomorrow. For those unfamiliar with FOUNDATION, here’s an Amazon synopsis:

Foundation marks the first of a series of tales set so far in the future that Earth is all but forgotten by humans who live throughout the galaxy. Yet all is not well with the Galactic Empire. Its vast size is crippling to it. In particular, the administrative planet, honeycombed and tunneled with offices and staff, is vulnerable to attack or breakdown. The only person willing to confront this imminent catastrophe is Hari Seldon, a psychohistorian and mathematician. Seldon can scientifically predict the future, and it doesn’t look pretty: a new Dark Age is scheduled to send humanity into barbarism in 500 years. He concocts a scheme to save the knowledge of the race in an Encyclopedia Galactica. But this project will take generations to complete, and who will take up the torch after him?

Emmerich’s 2012 star, Thandie Newton!