Due to the overwhelming success of The Lion King's 3-D re-release (it has grossed $80 million through 19 days of release), Disney announced today that four of their most beloved animated classics are set for 3-D re-releases in 2012 and 2013.
Beauty and the Beast will get the treatment next, as it has been set for January 13, 2012. This will be the films' third time in theaters, following its' 1991 original release and its' 2001 10th Anniversary IMAX release. While Lion King has been successful, this one looks like more of a challenge since the film was released on DVD and Blu-ray last year (the film was originally set for a 3-D release in February 2010, but was infinitely delayed until now) and was released on 3-D Blu-ray today. Back in 1991, Beauty made history becoming the first animated film to gross over $100 million in ticket sales and stands as the first animated film to earn an Oscar nomination for Best Picture, as well as six additional nominations.
Following that, Disney/Pixar's blockbuster Finding Nemo re-releases on September 14, 2012. This will mark over nine years since it was released in 2003. Back then, Nemo became the first animated film ever to beat The Lion King in worldwide gross, and also earning the biggest-grossing opening weekend for an animated film (at the time), as it grossed $864 million worldwide. A 3-D re-release and limited DVD availability may help this movie to cross the $1 billion mark worldwide.
The following year, Disney and Pixar are set to re-release Monsters, Inc. in 3-D on January 18, 2013. This marks over 11 years since the original release in 2001, when it earned nearly $550 million worldwide. The 3-D re-release is debuting five months before the highly-anticipated prequel, Monsters University, which is set for June 21, 2013. That's a similar trajectory to Toy Story and Toy Story 2's 3-D double-feature coming out nine months before Toy Story 3.
Finally, Disney has set The Little Mermaid for a 3-D conversion to release on September 13, 2013. This will be the first time the movie has been in theaters since its' original run, which was back in 1989. Back then, Mermaid was the first film to prove that animation could succeed at the box office, grossing over $200 million worldwide, which is equivalent to over $800 million adjusted for inflation. It is very likely that this will proceed a Blu-ray and DVD release set for the following month.
All are set for "limited engagements", and will only be extended to full runs if they earn more money than expected.
