'Planet of the Apes' goes digital

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The release of "Planet of the Apes" marks the 32nd film that has been released in digital form

By Laura Rich

(IDG) -- Planet of the Apes will make a second debut in select movie theaters this weekend. Only this time, the hideous ape makeup on Tim Roth, Helena Bonham Carter and pals will be that much clearer thanks to a digital version of the film that is now making its way to the 32 screens worldwide that are equipped with digital projectors.

The release marks the 32nd film that has been released in digital form. Other major movies include Miramax's Spy Kids, DreamWorks' Shrek, Universal Studios' Jurassic Park III and Twentieth Century Fox's Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace. Fox is also the studio behind Apes.

The digital version hits theaters at a time when Hollywood is growing increasingly aware of the potential for digital piracy. The latest films to surface as potential piracy victims include American Pie 2 and Apes. A New York Times article stated that Apes was available online, but a Fox spokeswoman denied any knowledge of such copies. The American Pie 2 threat turned out to be a hoax in the form of foreign, pornographic films labeled as the teen gross-out flick. Says Jeffrey Godsick, executive VP of publicity and promotions at Twentieth Century Fox, "With security precautions taken by all parties involved, we believe that will not be an issue" in this case.

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In most situations, the digital version of a film is released at the same time as its analog form. But conversion to digital happens only after a film is completed, and the $100 million Apes' production closed just barely before the deadline, according to many reports. According to Godsick, the digital version of the film is simply an added value for audiences. "It's a bit early too tell what level of awareness exists among all consumers. However, it is possible that true cinephiles will seek out this presentation."

Unfortunately, this is still not the Holy Grail. In a true digital-cinema scenario, a movie would be distributed digitally as well as shown in digital form. In this case, the movie was shipped in compact disc form by express mail to the 32 theaters. More digital projectors need to be installed before distribution channels can justify the expense of a large-scale system that would enable studios to ship movies to theaters with the click of a button.

But it is encouraging for digital cinema proponents who are hopeful that more digital content will drive the demand for the development of digital cinema.

As filmmakers such as George Lucas continue to embrace digital technology in their moviemaking, many expect digital to begin taking the place of celluloid. Ultimately, the process will save money, but currently, most studios are simply creating supplemental digital forms.

For now, Apes will simply try to increase its box-office take. Since the film opened in theaters on July 27, it has garnered $123.75 million.