Quickly exploiting a good thing, Disney and Disney-Pixar will release 3D versions of “Beauty and the Beast,” “Finding Nemo,” “Monsters. Inc., and “The Little Mermaid” in theaters in 2012 and 2013.

The announcement comes on the heels of an $80 million run over the past three weekends in U.S. theaters for the 3D version of “The Lion King,” which caught the entire industry off-guard and is now expected to spark a resurgence in the viability of 3D in general and especially for classic makeovers such as the previously announced 2012 3D re-releases of “Star Wars: The Phantom Menace” and “Titanic.”
The Blu-ray 3D version of “The Lion King” hits stores this week.

Ironically, after a disappointing performance in late 2009 of a double-bill of 3D conversions of “Toy Story” and “Toy Story 2″ in advance of the premiere of “Toy Story 3 in 3D,” Disney’s planned theatrical re-release of a 3D version of “Beauty and the Beast” in early 2010 and was delayed a couple times and is now going straight to Blu-ray 3D this week (and it looks every bit as good, if not better than “The Lion King”). “Beauty” had a brief theatrical showing exclusively at the El Capitan Theater in Hollywood last month as a promotion for the Blu-ray 3D release.
Now the 1991 movie that has grossed $380.4 million worldwide and was the first animated film ever nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture will be released theatrically after all on January 13, 2012.
(Disney also announced today that all three “Toy Story” movies will be released on Blu-ray 3D for the first time Nov. 1.)

Next up for theaters will be “Finding Nemo” in 3D on September 14, 2012. The 2003 Oscar winner for Best Animated Feature was the second highest-grossing film of that year with $867.6 million worldwide.

The studio will try again to use a 3D version of one of its films to promote the sequel when it releases a 3D version of “Monsters, Inc.” January 18, 2013, prior to the debut of “Monsters University” (actually, a prequel) in 3D on June 21, 2013. The original grossed $526.9 million worldwide.

A 3D version of “The Little Mermaid,” which won two Academy Awards and has grossed $228.9 million worldwide will premiere that fall on Sept. 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. “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.”

– By Scott Hettrick 

Disney’s 3D conversion of 17-year-old “The Lion King” roared louder than all its challengers for the second weekend in a row (Sept. 23-25), pawing in another $22.1 million at 2,330 domestic theaters, according to Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, representing a drop of less than 27% from last week’s industry-stunning $30 mil. re-debut.
And this weekend’s 3D percentage was even up a tick from last weekend’s unprecedented share to 93% of all receipts.

The movie, which had already given a jolt of renewed energy to filmmakers like James Cameron and competing studios considering 3D conversions of their own films, took in another $1.9 mil. from 19 international territories, for a global total of $24 mil. this weekend and a cumulative global gross to date of nearly $78 mil. ($61.7 mil. domestically).

“The Lion King” managed all this despite heated competition from the likes of Sony’s highly-touted “Moneyball,” starring Brad Pitt,  which opened fairly strong but with just under $21 mil., and Warner’s own 3D family entry this week, “Dolphin Tale,” which grossed slightly over $20 mil.

Disney executives are discussing extending the planned limited three-week run of “The Lion King” past October 6 but the studio will be releasing the movie on Blu-ray 3D Oct. 4.

Cameron said the success of “The Lion King” will give confidence to studios who are already planning releases of converted films such as his own “Titanic” next April, “Star Wars” next February, and “Top Gun.”

– By Scott Hettrick

Panasonic booth at D23 Expo.

A vast majority of consumers who have the chance to view 3DTV, at least on Panasonic‘s active shutter system with a plasma display, believe that 3D TV significantly improves their television viewing experience.
The survey was conducted last month (August) at Disney’s D23 Expo in Anaheim, Ca., independent research firm Frank N. Magid Associates for Panasonic.

Disney-Panasonic Blu-ray 3D booth at D23 Expo.

“We’ve always said that, just as with HDTV, once consumers experience 3D TV, they will want it,” said Eisuke Tsuyuzaki, Panasonic Corporation of North America’s Chief Technology Officer.

About 71% of the more than 500 D23 Expo attendees who were queried after seeing 3DTV said that 3D TV is “much better” or “dramatically better” than 2D TV, and a whopping 99% of those surveyed perceive 3DTV to be at least “somewhat better” than standard HDTV or “2D” TV.

Half the consumers said “I wish I had this in my home,” with 27% using the word “Fabulous” to describe their sense of the 3D TV experience.
“These feelings are very reminiscent of the public’s response to HDTV in its early days.” said Mike Vorhaus, President of Magid Advisors, a unit of Frank N. Magid Associates.
Panasonic also sponsors one of a handful of full-time 3DTV channels, DirecTV’s n3D Powered by Panasonic. Others are Comcast’s Xfinity 3D Channel, ESPN 3D, and 3Net by Discovery, Sony and IMAX. That is more dedicated programming than HDTV had at this point in the life cycle of that format.

At Westfield Santa Anita mall.

Meanwhile, LG has been conducting its own consumer tests in retail centers in New York, Chicago, Arcadia, Ca.. near Los Angeles, and elsewhere, comparing its passive 3DTV system to active-shutter systems of Sony and Samsung. The company claims that the informal responses from the 9.507 participants in the “3D TV Challenge,” who are not shown any brand names, mirror an independent consumer study in May in which four out of five consumers choose LG 3DTVs for best color and brightness, while three out of four prefer LG’s picture quality and 3D glasses.
At Westfield Santa Anita mall in Arcadia Sept. 8-11, more than 3,300 people viewed both types of 3D TVs over a four-day period, with 78% saying they prefer LG.
Jan Ruiz of Arcadia, preferred LG because she felt it was “much deeper and more crisp than the Samsung.”
– By Scott Hettrick

DirecTV‘s newest 3D series exclusive to n3D, Powered by Panasonic (channel 103) launches this weekend, “On Deck with Jamie and Mike,” hosted by sports fanatics Jamie Kaler and Mike Bunin.
The hosts, also known for their roles on the TBS sitcom, “My Boys,” give viewers an in-depth look at famous ballparks across the country, the cities that house them, and the fans that bring them to life.
The series premieres in 3D at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Saturday, Sept. 24.
“What makes real baseball fans so passionate about the game is so much more than just the players on the field,” said Chris Long, senior vice president, DirecTV Entertainment. “It is the smell of the stadium, the feel of the seats, the taste of the food they have waited all year to eat and the familiar faces that greet them when they walk through the gates. “On Deck with Jamie and Mike” in 3D will bring that same nostalgia to our 3D baseball fans and give them the best baseball road trip of their lives without having to get up from their couch.”
The featured cities and stadiums will include:
•    Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles – Jamie and Mike visit Dodger Stadium and announce to all, “It’s Time for Dodger Baseball!”  Join the boys as they go Hollywood and try to get on the VIP list.
•    AT&T Ballpark, San Francisco – Jamie and Mike head to San Francisco to celebrate Grateful Dead Night at AT&T Ballpark. The summer of love returns for one night as the boys enjoy some gourmet food, batting practice from McCovey Cove, and a chilly dip in the bay.
•    Comerica Park, Detroit – The Motor City rolls out the red carpet as Jamie and Mike catch a Tigers game at Comerica Park. A Segway trip around downtown and fireworks from the dugout show why Detroit is as strong as ever.
•    Wrigley Field, Chicago – Jamie and Mike take a behind-the-scenes look at the friendly confines of Wrigley Field. Riding on the Cubs trolley, kayaking the Chicago River, and taking some swings in the cage highlight this magical day with the Cubs.
•    Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia – Jamie and Mike get some playing time at the home of the Philadelphia Phillies, Citizen’s Bank Park. Grilling cheesesteaks with Tony Luke, hanging with the Philly Phanatic, and running with “Rocky” highlight their trip to the birthplace of America.
•    Fenway Park, Boston – Jamie and Mike “park their car” at Fenway Park for a wicked awesome day with the Red Sox, which includes following the Freedom Trail through Historic Boston as they make their way to the park’s Green Monster.
– By Scott Hettrick

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

Tom Cruise’s 1986 action-romance hit “Top Gun” is being converted to 3D for a theatrical release, according to a top executive from Legend3D, which is doing the conversion.

CEO Rob Hummel showed a four-minute preview clip of a converted 3D sequence from the ‘Danger Zone’ aerial flight sequence at the International Broadcasting Convention (IBC) in Amsterdam, according to reports. Legend 3D apparently has a type of revenue-sharing deal with Paramount to convert films in the studio’s library.

Royal Philips Electronics, Sharp Corporation, TCL Corporation and Toshiba Corporation are the latest electronics giants to get behind a standard for wireless active-shutter, full HD 3D glasses technology for 3DTVs and movie theaters that is being promoted by Panasonic Corporation, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Sony Corporation and X6D Limited (XPAND 3D).
This leaves LG and Vizio (some say Vizio LCD displays are made by LG) as the only major brands not on board with universal active shutter glasses, which account for 70% of 3D glasses sales.

It was announced today (Tuesday, Aug. 30) that Philips, Sharp, TCL and Toshiba have expressed support for the initiative announced earlier this month for which competing titans Panasonic, Samsung, Sony, and XPAND have agreed to work together on the development and licensing of Bluetooth-enabled radio frequency (RF) system 3D active-shutter glasses technology, including RF system protocols between consumer 3D active shutter glasses and 3D displays such as televisions, personal computers and projectors, as well as 3D theaters with XPAND active shutter glasses. The standardization will also include several types of infrared (IR) system protocols between 3D active shutter glasses and 3D displays, ranging from the protocols jointly developed by Panasonic and XPAND 3D to the proprietary protocols of Samsung and Sony.

In late September 2011, the license program for the Full HD 3D Glasses Initiative is targeted to commence. With this, manufacturers of 3D displays, 3D synchronization emitters, 3D active shutter glasses or Bluetooth chip devices for such products can receive a license to begin developing and manufacturing products employing the Full HD 3D Glasses Initiative technology.

Further, in late 2011, the Full HD 3D Glasses Initiative plans to begin officially certifying products manufactured under the Full HD 3D Glasses Initiative license. Upon a product’s certification, the Full HD 3D Glasses Initiative will allow the usage of a distinct logo (above right), which will provide consumers an easy way to recognize interoperability among 3D active shutter products, such as 3D TVs and 3D glasses that each bear the logo.

The protocols jointly developed by Panasonic and XPAND were announced in March 2011 and supported by eight participating companies: Changhong Electric Co., Ltd.; FUNAI Electric Co., Ltd.; Hisense Electric Co., Ltd.; Hitachi Consumer Electronics Co., Ltd.; Mitsubishi Electric Corporation; Seiko Epson Corporation; SIM2 Multimedia S.p.A. and ViewSonic Corporation.

– By Scott Hettrick