The "future" future

[Chad]

I just got done watching the video on YouTube with Keith Packard and
Bart Massey talking about Xorg.  It was really quite interesting,
which sadly means I'm far geekier than I imagined...  :D

It got me thinking about video in general and brought me to my question:

When will we see the "future" that we (historically) envision(ed)?
Maybe not the perfect medium to ask this question, but a good choice
nonetheless.  In many science fiction films we see things like true 3d
(not 3d on 2d) static "pictures" of people that can be turned on and
off at the base and when on show a full 3d picture of the person.  We
also see interactive (again true 3d) movies where you can dance with a
virtual person, or have a conversation with an AI character.  In an
easy-to-relate example, we see Princess Leia relaying a message on a
3d projection coming out of R2D2 playing for Luke Skywalker.  These
real life 3d things are what I am pondering.  What is the "Missing
Link" that keeps us from moving away from a flat panel (cause we sure
have gotten good at making them bigger and better) and into a 3d world
that is animated *around us*?  I somewhat understand light
technologies and understand we need a surface to reflect off of, but
with fiber optics I would think we could easily be there by now.

So besides the "it comes when it comes" replies, any ideas on when we
might see something like this?  How far off we are from having this
"In a theater near you" or even in my living room?

Thanks!

-Chad