10 3D movies and shows to watch out for

As well as an increasingly good choice of quality 3D Blu-ray movies, 3D TV broadcasters such as Sky and Virgin Media in the UK are already promising viewers lots more quality 3D content later this year and beyond and we've gathered together 10 of the best new shows and movies below.

Sky, in particular, is really pushing the development of quality 3D TV content in the UK (and beyond), announcing this week that it has now formed a brand new 3D production company, Colossus Productions.

It has teamed up with leading UK Independent producer, Atlantic Productions, producers of the BAFTA award-winning Flying Monsters 3D and follows the recent confirmation of new 3D output deals with Disney, Discovery Networks and MTV.

And, most importantly of all for fans of 3D cinema, it looks like Hollywood has been listening to recent criticisms from the TV industry about the dodgy quality of a lot of its recent 3D output, with the major Tinseltown studios clearly stepping up their 3D game later this year and beyond.

Talk about the future of the 3D medium is no longer centred on James Cameron's sequel to the technically ground-breakingAvatar, which speaks volumes about the number of other major 3D projects now in development.

"The bad news is that Hollywood took the interest and mild excitement that people had for 3D and spewed out several movies that were either outright poor all over the place, or were poorly converted to 3D in post-production," says Adam Taylor, Adotomi agency analyst and 3D expert, in summary of the state of 3D play in the cinema industry.

"The good news is that with Avatar, the 3D genie is out of the bottle and if directors really want to wow the audience in terms of special effects, it's got to include 3D."

Taylor's tip is to look out for the big name directors that you trust the most in cinema. Which isn't actually too difficult, with major 3D productions currently underway from the likes of Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, James Cameron, Ridley Scott and Peter Jackson.

Whether you plan to catch up on Sky's forthcoming 3D Meerkats or sample the music festival delights of Bestival 3D on your 3D TV in the comfort of your own home, or want to know which 3D movies you should be looking out for at your local multiplex over the next year or two - here are the definitive top ten 3D movies and TV programmes on the way to you soon.

1. Ridley Scott's 'Prometheus' - due June 2012

With Guy Pearce, Charlize Theron and Idris Elba playing three of the lead roles, it's fairly easy to see why sci-fi fans are already getting excited about Scott's forthcoming 3D masterpiece.

"Ridley Scott's return to science fiction would be excitement enough and while it's too bad that it's not a full-blown 'Alien' prequel, it's close enough," says Adam Taylor.

2. Francis Ford Coppola's 'Twixt' - due late 2011

True to form, Coppola's first major 3D movie is going to take a slightly different twist, encouraging the audience to don 3D glasses only at certain moments and scenes throughout the picture, using on-screen visual clues to let you know when to take your glasses on and off. It's a massive gamble, but one his legions' of fans are praying will pay off.

The story focuses on a has-been writer who gets caught up in a murder mystery while away on a book tour. This unconventional 3D film stars Val Kilmer, Bruce Dern and Ben Chaplin, with Coppola describing Twixt as "one part Gothic romance, one part personal film, and one part the kind of horror film that began my career" – adding that the idea for the story came to him in a dream and was also inspired by the writings of Edgar Allen Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne.

3. 3D Bestival - due September 2011

Forget about the BBC's impressively-good blanket coverage of the Glastonbury festival each year. Sky plans to 1-up the Beeb this year, by broadcasting the Bestival festival in glorious 3D in September.

Which means, should you not be able to drag your sorry self to the Isle of Wight this coming autumn to enjoy all of Rob Da Bank's fun-and-frolics in real life, you can at least still pretend you were there by watching the whole thing on your new 3D TV.

"In what is undoubtedly our finest year to date, which will include sets from The Cure, Pendulum, Primal Scream presents Screamadelica, PJ Harvey, Brian Wilson and DJ Shadow amongst a huge and ever-growing line-up of musical treats, Bestival 2011 hurtles headlong into the future, adding a whole new dimension to our televisual shenanigans, breaking new ground for festival entertainment with a super-generous seven and a half hours of Bestival 3D TV on Sky this coming September" says Da Bank.

"It's amazing to be part of the world's first 3D TV festival extravaganza on Sky. Bestival in 3D will be a mind-blowing explosion of colour and multi-dimensional music and mayhem and it's great to be working with Whizz Kid again to bring it to life. Having Camp Bestival too as part of the Sky festival season means we've got a great summer of TV ahead."

4. Martin Scorsese's 'Hugo' - due September 2011

That's right. Scorsese! He of Goodfellas, Mean Streets and Casinofame is actually planning on making a charming 3D family and kids' movie called Hugo.

Scorsese's new 3D movie is an adaptation of Brian Selznick's popular children's adventure, starring Ben Kingsley, Christopher Lee, Emily Mortimer, Helen Jude Law, Ray Winstone, Sacha Baron Cohen and a load of other major AAA-stars.

Chloë Moretz says that the movie is: "Neverland and Oz and Treasure Island all wrapped into one." Which sounds utterly magical. Let's hope it is!

5. Steven Spielberg's 'The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn' - due late 2011

Spielberg does Tintin, in which our French adventurer and his chums discoverer directions to a sunken ship commanded by Captain Haddock's ancestor and head off on a treasure hunt.

It is fully computer animated, uses the latest motion capture tech in 3D and is directed by one of the greatest filmmakers of our age. What could possibly go wrong? (Hopefully nothing)

< class="pageBreak">3D to watch out for: 6-10>

6. James Cameron's Avatar sequel - Avatar 2 - due 2014

Yes, you read that correctly. The sequel to Avatar is not actually scheduled for release until 2014. Which seems a hell of a long time to wait for those people who genuinely liked the first movie (as a movie, and not as a 2-hour-plus tech demo, that is).

3D-movie evangelist Cameron is also apparently looking to shoot some footage seven miles underwater in the Challenger Deep, the deepest location on earth. How the hell he is practically going to manage that is still to be revealed. We only hope that it doesn't take his focus away from storytelling, character and dialogue…

7. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - due December 2012

There is pretty much no question that The Hobbit in 3D is going to be one of the biggest 3D movies of 2012.

With Ian Holm, Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, Benedict Cumberbatch, Stephen Fry, Christopher Lee and a host of other AAA-Hollywood talent joining Peter Jackson in re-making one of the greatest fantasy stories of our age in 3D…

8. Brave from Pixar - due 2012

With Kelly MacDonald, Emma Thompson and Robbie Coltrane involved in the next major new 3D movie from the cinema tech ninjas at Disney Pixar, it is obvious why cinephiles are looking forward to Brave.

This new Pixar movie is set in Scotland "in a rugged and mythical time" telling the story of Merida, who likes archery and is described as "an impetuous daughter of royalty" looking to put things right after she makes a number of unfortunate mistakes.

9. 3D Meerkats - Sky - due October

Meerkats in 3D. Who is not going to want to watch that? Surely only a true cynic that has had their heart and soul surgically removed by their own misplaced contempt for modern life?

Caroline Hawkins and her Oxford Scientific 3D movie crew are currently putting the finishing touches to their latest meerkat doc, following the hugely successful four Meerkat Manor series and the Flower movie "Meerkat Manor: The Story Begins".

"The footage gathered so far has been extremely good. The 3D effect is truly amazing, you really feel you can reach out and touch the meerkats. We've had a few impromptu screenings at the reserve and everyone has been transfixed," says Hawkins.

10. The Amazing Spider-man - due 2012

Spider Man 4(or whatever the fans may call it) may not have Tobey Macguire playing our favourite super-hero, yet it is said to be something of a re-boot in the series, featuring that guy out of The Social Network (Andrew Garfield) as Spidey instead of Macguire.

Can Garfield cut it? It's one of the most highly–anticipated 3D movies since Avatar. So one would certainly hope he can!