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Prime Focus to handle conversion to 3D of Star Wars
MUMBAI: Lucasfilm and Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) have employed Prime Focus to handle the 2D to 3D conversion of Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace that is scheduled for a theatrical release on 10 February 2012.
Prime Focus’ proprietary View-D 2D to 3D process is being used to convert the film. The process was first used in early 2010 to convert Clash of the Titans; more recently, it was employed on The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
“It was incredibly important to me that we have the technology, the resources and the time to do this right,” said George Lucas in a statement. “I’m very happy with the results I’ve been seeing on Episode I.”
The conversion of the Star Wars film is being supervised by the visual effects supervisor for ILM and Academy Award winner John Knoll.
“Getting really good results from stereo conversion requires a lot of attention to detail, and it is imperative that you take the time to get it right – and that’s just what we’re doing,” Knoll observed.
“We’re taking a different approach than you might expect. George’s vision has been to add dimension to the film in subtle ways. This isn’t a novelty conversion, with things jumping out at the audience; our goal has been to enhance the classic Star Wars theatrical experience, utilizing the latest cinematic tools and techniques,” he added.
The process is being led at Prime Focus’ Hollywood office, while its artistes in Los Angeles, London and Mumbai will deliver shots via the company’s digital infrastructure. In collaboration with ILM, the meticulous conversion is being completed with the utmost respect for the source material with a keen eye for both technological considerations and artistic intentions.
Averred Prime Focus founder and CEO Namit Malhotra, “Wherever you are in the world, the Star Wars films have become part of the very fabric of film-making – the epitome of the big cinema experience. To be chosen by Lucasfilm as a trusted partner, and to be given the time and opportunity to represent this series as a new experience to both old and new audiences alike, is an incredible honour. For a project of this importance and magnitude, Lucasfilm and ILM would only have chosen a company with the best talent in the industry, leading proprietary technology and infrastructure, a production-proven
pipeline and unmatched scale. I am hugely proud that Prime Focus is that company.”
Prime Focus, a global leader in stereo conversion, has recently won praise for its conversion of The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
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With 57 per cent single new users, Ashley Madison rebrands as discreet dating platform
Platform says majority of new members now identify as single
INDIA: Ashley Madison is shedding the “married-dating” label that defined it for two decades, repositioning itself as a platform for discreet dating in what it calls the post-social media age.
The rebrand, unveiled in India on 27 February, 2026, marks a structural shift in business model and identity. Once synonymous with married dating, the company now describes itself as the “premier destination for discreet dating” under a new tagline: Where Desire Meets Discretion.
The pivot is data-driven. Internal figures show that 57 per cent of global sign-ups between 1 January and 31 December, 2025 identified as single: a notable departure from the platform’s married core. The company argues that its community has already evolved beyond its original positioning.
“In an age where our lives have been constantly put on public display, privacy has become the new luxury,” said Ashley Madison chief strategy officer Paul Keable. He framed the platform’s offering as “ethical discretion” for singles, separated, divorced and non-monogamous users seeking private connections.
The shift also taps into wider digital fatigue. A global survey conducted by YouGov for Ashley Madison, covering 13,071 adults across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US, found mounting discomfort with hyper-public online lives.
Among dating app users, 30 per cent cited constant swiping and messaging as a source of fatigue, while 24 per cent pointed to pressure to curate public-facing profiles and early personal disclosure. Some 27 per cent said fears of screenshots or information being shared contributed to exhaustion; an equal share cited unwanted attention.
The retreat from oversharing appears broader. According to the survey, 46 per cent of adults actively try to keep most aspects of their life private online. Only 8 per cent feel comfortable sharing most aspects publicly, while 35 per cent say they are becoming more selective about what they disclose.
Ashley Madison is betting that this cultural recalibration towards controlled visibility can be monetised. By doubling down on privacy infrastructure and reframing itself around discretion rather than infidelity, the company is attempting to convert reputational baggage into a premium proposition.
