A short while ago we got wind that Sony was incredibly displeased with Green Hornet and is being pushed back to a January release and while IESB.net was saying it came from a reliable source, it sounds more like someone just made it up.

Sony Reacted with this statement:

Sony spokesperson Steve Elzer responded by saying that the IESB story was “complete garbage.” Studio execs had only seen about a third of the movie, Elzer said. “What we have seen is outstanding. The piece is unfounded.”

This gives me hope, as when I heard the news I was clinging to that shred that IESB’s source was just fabricating something out of nothing. They said way back that Green Hornet was not going to be a goofball spoof despite casting Rogen in the lead. Word said they were playing it straight.

However it did pull up a strong public reaction of toldya-so’s from the doubters that Seth Rogen can pull off the suave Green Hornet or that Michael Gondry was the right man to pull off a pulp superhero flick.

But this is the more interesting news, just as they were announcing that they were delaying the film, Sony says it’s because they are opting to give Hornet the 3D treatment. FilmJunk shares:

The Michel Gondry-helmed pic will now open Jan. 14, 2011. The studio bristled at the notion that bad buzz surrounding the project played a role in its decision to abandon one of choicest days on the box office calendar. Instead, Sony said that once the decision was made to incorporate 3D during the production process, “Green Hornet” needed to find a frame with sufficient digital screens. A number of 3D pics have already staked out December slots including “Tron: Legacy” and “Yogi Bear.”

This boggles my mind.

I know that there is a strong anti-3D movement out there, but the boxoffice boost doesn’t lie. There are more people eager to see a film in 3d than not, so the trend isn’t going anwywhere.

But for me its about using it appropriately on film. Not deliberate “throw stuff at the screen” kind of gimmick, but just to add an element to a visual film.

Avatar? Sure. Animated, why not? Alice in Wonderland, Ok, that looks good. But I don’t need to see EVERY film in 3D, and Green Hornet didn’t look like one that was going to get it either.

But its being delayed to release against some non-contenders in January (the month films go to die) just so it can hold some extra 3D screens.

What a waste of the technology.