'Les Miserables' to be shot in 2-D

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Published on December 5, 2011 12:00PM EST

Score one for old-school movie making: Director Tom Hooper confirmed to the BBC that his in-the-works big-screen adaptation of stage blockbuster Les Miserables will be shot in 2-D. “I can definitely announce it’s good old-fashioned 2-D,” Hooper (pictured here) is quoted as saying. This news elicits exactly this response from me: Yay!

Why? It’s as simple as this: Not everything needs to be made in 3-D.

Hooper — who won an Oscar earlier this year for directing The King’s Speech — said that the had been “very tempted” to use 3-D, but he was worried that some moviegoers might “physically struggle” with the format. “If you have a certain type of eyesight it can be more demanding than watching a normal movie,” Hooper told the BBC.

But really, I hope that this all means that Hooper — who claims that he tested the “very interesting” format of 3-D for the movie — just has the same feeling as I do: 3-D would likely not enhance the experience of a big-screen version of Les Mis. Actually, he hinted at that in a roundabout way: “With a two-and-a-half hour film,” he said, “I didn’t want to make something that anyone might think ‘That’s not for me, because I don’t like the [3-D] medium.'” That’s certainly me! The romantic story of ex-convict Jean Valjean (played by Hugh Jackman), set against the backdrop of the French Revolution, has enough power and sizzle without seeing the guy’s sword pop out of the screen. Granted, the musical does encompass some pretty epic battle scenes, but they’re not really about the explosions from guns — but rather the explosive romance and heartbreak surrounding at the center of the story. You don’t need 3-D to portray that.

The film, which has also cast Russell Crowe as Javert and Anne Hathaway as Fantine, begins filming this March and is set for release in December 2012. Lea Michele has reportedly auditioned for the role of Éponine.

Do you agree with my feelings PopWatchers? Are you happy that Les Mis will be shot in 2-D? Or are you turned off that Hooper won’t go 3-D? Sound off below!

Tanner on Twitter: @EWTanStransky

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