Update: 3 not 4 Disney films to be re-released in 3D.

Right after the success of "The Lion King"s 3D re-release in theaters Disney & Pixar has announced that four of their beloved animated classics will be re-rleased in 3D as well starting with "Beauty and The Beast" on January 13, 2012. That will be followed by "Finding Nemo" on September 14, "Monsters, Inc." on January 18, 2013 and then "The Little Mermaid" on September 13, 2013.

'Great stories and great characters are timeless, and at Disney we're fortunate to have a treasure trove of both," said Alan Bergman, President, The Walt Disney Studios, said in a press release. "We're thrilled to give audiences of all ages the chance to experience these beloved tales in an exciting new way with 3D - and in the case of younger generations, for the first time on the big screen.'

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/04/disney-re-releasing-films-3d_n_994701.html

http://boxofficemojo.com/schedule/?view=changes&p=.htm


ETA: The re-release of 'The Little Mermaid' is no longer happening.

Updated On: 1/14/13 at 03:50 PM

I'm actually very excited for these re-releases. Believe it or not I've only seen "The Little Mermaid" at home on video. I've never seen it in a movie theater. I was only a baby when it was first released in theaters and my parents thought I was too young to go to a movie theater. I never got to see the re-release of it in 1997 because after a while Ursula and the sun setting on the third day scared me as a kid. It wasn't until I saw the restored VHS version that I overcame my fear. Now, it's one of my favorite animated films. So, I am very much looking forward to the 3D re-release. I'v e seen "Beauty & the Beast" twice in theaters, once during its 2002 IMAX re-release and the other time being the high-definition sing-a-long event last year. I guess I'll go back to that film again. "Finding Nemo" and "Monsters Inc." will also be cool in 3D.

Updated On: 10/4/11 at 04:31 PM

^ I agree. I personally think the 3-D looks bad in movies where it isn't necessary. Everything looks flat and cut out.

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From an audience perspective, I can see the appeal. I'm not questioning the quality of the films themselves. And I have seen all of these in the theatre on the "big screen." So maybe that explains my reaction being less than that of someone who had never had the opportunity. I grew up when Disney was still re-releasing all of their animated films as "major events." (Home video didn't really kick in until my early college days, and Disney was a late adopter on top of that.)

But the numbers from Lion King clearly show there's an interest. And you couldn't exactly do this with "any old" film. I doubt if there was a 3D version of Gigly, people would flock in droves.

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I'm only interested in BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, of those announced. However, SLEEPING BEAUTY, LADY AND THE TRAMP or PETER PAN would get me in a theater, as well. Bring on MARY POPPINS in 3D!

^ I heard some theaters offered 2D showings of "The Lion King," so maybe they offer it for these films.

^ If that is true, I would love that so much better than the 3-D. I think the only re-released Disney films I've seen in theater were The Rescuers and 101 Dalmatians.

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Wheeeee!!!!!! I'm like a gay in a gay candy store right now! Cinderella is coming back!!!!! :) :) :) :)

I'm looking forward to seeing the songs "Be Our Guest," "Beauty and the Beast," "Under the Sea," and "Kiss the Girl" in 3D.

The author of this Entertainment Weekly article thinks 'Lady and the Tramp' and 'Cinderella' should have theatrical releases.


'Lady and the Tramp,' 'Cinderella' will be released from Disney vault. Should they head to theaters too?

1. I was so excited when I heard this news last month! I saw Lion King 3D and loved seeing it on the big screen! I never got to see any of these movies on the big screen. I'm mostly excited for The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast!

2. CapnHook, where do you here about the double feature thing? I haven't seen or heard anything about those yet! I would LOVE to see Cinderella on the big screen! Ahhh, that would be amazing!! They better do something as big as a re-release since the Blu-Ray comes out next Fall!

I was lucky enough to see most of the classics during their re-releases too (when did they stop? I remember seeing Jungle Book and maybe Pinocchio or DUmbo on a theatrical reissue when I was a teenager so mid 90s, but I think that was near the end. When I was 10 and Fantasia came back in its restored length, I was so obsessed--and fooled by Disney's then promise it would never come to video--that I saw it over ten times in the theatre, often on my own).

What bugs me is I think 3D diminishes these films--albeit only slightly. 3D works fine for some movies but it always makes colours darker--I didn't bother with Lion King but the best any of the reviews said about the 3D was it was not heavily done and barely there... I know it's the gimmic to get them back in theatres, but...

I also just saw Beauty and the Beast today, and I loved it. I thought the 3-D was nice, but then again, the last 3-D movie I saw was Harry Potter, in which nothing was gained, and I don't see 3-D movies often. The ballroom scene was great, and the opening song also looked great. But, most importantly, it's another chance to see a great Disney movie on the big screen again.