Original Battle Royale being transferred to 3-D

By Sean O'Neal, Alex Scokel | May 18, 2010 | 8:02pm

Aux Features Film

Screen announced yesterday that studio Toei is converting New Cult Canon favorite Battle Royale from old and busted 2-D to new hotness 3-D. The 2000 film—about a group of troubled teens forced to battle each other to the death on a deserted island—became a smash hit in Japan and has spawned sequels, novels, and other paraphernalia since. It also inspired a fervent following outside of its homeland—including in North America, despite never receiving a distribution deal.

The conversion is being headed by director Kinji Fukasaku’s son, Kenta Fukasaku, and is scheduled to be complete before the end of the year. It seems unlikely, however, that a 3-D conversion of a decade-old film that was never distributed in the U.S. in the first place will see North American screens—but then again, that added third dimension might be exactly what the film needs to finally secure its long-overdue release.