The Great Gatsby has been adapted for the big screen in the silent, monochrome and colour eras, as well as on the small screen, and even in a version for Korean audiences. Now F Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel of the gilded jazz age could be set for a turn in stereoscopic vision after director Baz Lurhmann said he was considering filming his new adaptation in 3D.

Luhrmann praised the new format at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, where he appeared with fellow directors Oliver Stone and Michael Mann on a panel to discuss new technical developments in film at the weekend, according to the Hollywood Reporter. The Australian film-maker said he had workshopped his version in 3D but had not made a final decision on the move. The LA Times also reported backstage comments from Luhrmann citing his excitement about using the format for the new film.

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The new Great Gatsby is set to star British actor Carey Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan, the manipulative and shallow New York socialite of Fitzgerald's famous tale of the roaring 20s. Leonardo DiCaprio is reportedly in line to play the title role, one made famous by Robert Redford in the 1974 version, with Tobey Maguire as Nick Carraway, Fitzgerald's narrator.

So far, 3D has mostly been used by film-makers for movies with a dependence on action sequences. The suggestion that Luhrmann's version could be filmed in the format could be a sign that 3D is moving beyond that particular ghetto and towards a position where it becomes the norm for cinema releases. Martin Scorsese also recently announced that he will film Hugo Cabret, his adaptation of Brian Selznick's best-selling children's historical fiction book The Invention of Hugo Cabret, in 3D.

Such is the fascbination with the format that new 3D televisions are being fitted with built-in 2D to 3D conversion, in theory allowing viewers to watch any content in three dimensions. Luhrmann condemned the development, comparing it to the derided "colourisation" process with which black and white films were converted to colour in the 1980s. "It's random," Luhrmann told the Las Vegas audience. "It was really unimpressive."