'G.I. Joe: Retaliation' will be released next March, not this summer

'G.I. Joe: Retaliation' will be delayed because the studio wants to convert the movie to 3-D, according to sources.

By Sandy Schaefer,?Screen Rant / May 24, 2012

'G.I. Joe: Retaliation' will now hit theaters March 29, 2013 rather than next month.

Jaimie Trueblood/Paramount Pictures/AP

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Here?s an unexpected twist: Paramount is delaying the release date for G.I. Joe: Retaliation, just over a month before the sequel was originally due to hit theaters around the U.S.?Retaliation?has now been pushed back an entire nine months to a March 29th, 2013 date ? where it will face off against The Host during its opening weekend.

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The reason for said abrupt delay? Paramount wants to convert the film to 3D, in order to improve its box office prospects overseas.

Deadline quotes an unnamed Paramount head as saying (about?Retaliation):

?We?re going to?do a conscientious 3D job because we?ve seen how it can better box office internationally. Jim Cameron did all?of ?Titanic??s 3D in post ? and look how well that movie turned out.?

The quality of Titanic?s post-converted 3D has demonstrated that non-native 3D films are not necessarily inferior to those shot in the format ? assuming the proper time and effort is invested. Furthermore, there are certain recurring set pieces featured in the?Retaliation trailers?to date (especially the cliff-side ninja battle) that suggest the sequel could stand to benefit from the added dimension.

Of course, the delay is still disappointing news for everyone who was?looking forward?to a second G.I. Joe movie ? one that appears to be an improvement on its predecessor. Still, considering that Retaliation was originally going to square-off against Amazing Spider-Man,?just a few days after its opening here in the States ? the move seems to make sense, from a financial perspective.

How does the news about Retaliation being post-converted to 3D make you feel? Sound off in the comments section.

Sandy Schaefer blogs at Screen Rant.

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