Disney just sent out a press release announcing they aren’t done with re-releasing their classic animated films back in theaters with the 3D upgrade. Beginning in January of 2012 films including Beauty and the Beast (out on Disney 3D Blu-ray today), Finding Nemo, Monsters, Inc. and The Little Mermaid will hit theaters over the next two years and I think it’s safe to assume they won’t stop there if these releases follow the recent success of The Lion King in 3D, which has so far tallied over $79 million in three weeks since being re-released.
The release schedule for the next four films looks like this:
- Beauty and the Beast – January 13, 2012
- Finding Nemo – September 14, 2012
- Monsters, Inc. – January 18, 2013
- The Little Mermaid – September 13, 2013
The Monsters, Inc. release is timed to hit theaters five months before the prequel feature Monsters University arrives in theaters on June 21, 2013.
Quoted in today’s press release, Walt Disney Studios president Alan Bergman said, “Great stories and great characters are timeless, and at Disney we’re fortunate to have a treasure trove of both. 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.”
I’m pretty sure they’re quite “thrilled” about the money they’re making as well. I also suspect we can count on seeing Blu-ray releases of Finding Nemo and The Little Mermaid timed to coincide with these re-releases just as we did today with the release of The Lion King on Blu-ray. Beauty and the Beast and Monsters, Inc. are already available in high definition.
