In a remarkable reversal of fortune for 3D movies and perhaps a harbinger of 3D to come, Disney’s limited two-week re-release of the 1994 “Lion King” in 3D shocked the industry by grossing with more than $29 million n its opening weekend.
That’s more than double most expectations, more than double its next closest competitor, “Contagion,” more than double the opening weekend gross of Disney’s 2009 double-feature 3D re-release of “Toy Story” and “Toy Story 2,” and more than all three new releases this weekend combined.
It’s the fifth best September opening of any movie ever.
Even more encouraging, a whopping 92% of the grosses of “Lion King” came from 3D ticket purchases at 2,330 locations. And this, despite the fact that the studio has already announced plans for the first Blu-ray release of the movie next month, and in 3D as well.
The response has to be viewed as boost in confidence for 3D conversion that is done well — the 3D adaptation received strong reviews (see “Lion King 3D” review here).
It also bodes well for 2012 3D re-releases of “Titanic” and “Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace,” among others, and could also drive more interest in Blu-ray 3D.
— By Scott Hettick