PARAMOUNT TO RAISE TITANIC EARLIER THAN EXPECTED

Seemingly convinced that since 1997 an entire generation has emerged that has never seen Titanic on the big screen and that others who have will want to see it again in 3D, Paramount executives on Tuesday announced that they are moving up the release date of Titanic 3D to Wednesday, April 4, thereby stretching its ticket sales prospects over the Easter holiday. The movie had originally been slated to open on April 6. Initially the studio had planned to release it a week later, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the ship on April 15, 1912, but that date would have put it out of range of spring vacations and denied it the traditional family audience that swells on holidays. Producer/director James Cameron has reportedly spent $18 million on the 3D conversion, which he has said has taken 60 weeks, with the 3D technical team working on it frame-by-frame.