by Matt Raub, Oct 5 2011 // 8:30 AM
If there is one company out there that knows how to capitalize on a good thing, it’s definitely Disney. Now that Lion King 3D has made just under $80 million, and the film itself has made nearly $500 million combining it with the original release from 1994, the studio is ready for lightning to strike twice.
It looks like the films Disney is now looking to bring back range from both their 2D cell animated days to the days of Pixar. The plan is to release one older film and one more recent film a year, bringing us to the end of 2013.
Next to hit theaters is a 3D release of Beauty and the Beast on January 31 of next year, to be followed by Finding Nemo on September 14th, 2012. Then for 2013, you’re looking at Monsters, Inc. on January 18th, and The Little Mermaid on September 13th.
This is surely going to be a cash cow for both Disney and Pixar, and may just be enough to keep them from making big releases like Up or sequels like Toy Story 3 for years, which has been pretty costly in the past.
All we know is that this will give us another chance to enjoy these films with a fresh audience and may even introduce a new generation to these classic films.
Posted in: 3-D · Animation · Announcements · Disney · Movies · News
Tagged: 3D, Beauty and the Beast, Disney, Finding Nemo, Inc, Lion King, Lion King 3D, Little Mermaid, Monsters
by Matt Raub, Sep 26 2011 // 7:00 AM
It seems, according to this weekend’s box office report, that audiences still aren’t tired of 1994′s Lion King, even 17 years later. The film’s re-release in 3D has made the #1 spot again in two weeks, bringing in $22 million this weekend.
That ranks the film up to over $60 million in 3D, and over $400 million combined with the film’s original domestic total from the 90s. Not too shabby for a film that ripped off a Japanese anime series from the 50s.
The rest of the weekend’s releases weren’t too shabby, either. Brad Pitt’s Moneyball, which almost didn’t get made, pulled in $20.6 million at the #2 spot, while Morgan Freeman’s adventure saving a sea mammal in Dolphin Tale came in 3rd with just over $20.2 million.
The big flops of the weekend came in the form of the #3 and #4 spots. Taylor Lautner’s attempt at being Matt Damon in Abduction brought in $11 million, which is less than a third of the film’s production budget.
All the while, the action-packed Killer Elite, which had a production budget of $70 million, only brought in $9.5. Not a good sign for the DeNiro/Statham/Owen on-screen team.
Next weekend, a few possible sleeper hits with Universal’s Dream House, cancer drama 50/50, and the romantic comedy What’s Your Number?. Who will win? We’ll find out in one week!
Posted in: 3-D · Action · Box Office · Disney · Movies · News
Tagged: abduction, Brad Pitt, Dolphin Tale, Lion King, Lion King 3D, Moneyball, Morgan Freeman, Taylor Lautner
by Sebastian Suchecki, Jan 18 2011 // 10:30 AM
Those who remember the original Rocky and Bullwinkle show remember two sister franchises fondly. Those being Dudley Do-Right about a bumbling Canadian protagonist and his wins against the evil Snidley Whiplash, and then there was Peabody and Sherman. The latter was about a super-genius talking dog and his teen boy sidekick who would hop in the WABAC time machine and learn about various triumphs and follies in history.
Do-Right got his 15 minutes of Hollywood fame in the form of a Brandan Frazer adaptation, and now it’s Peabody and Sherman’s turn. It looks like Dreamworks is moving ahead with their completely CG adaptation, and have now cast Robert Downey Jr. in the lead role. From EW.
The project was just announced internally to the DreamWorks staff, with Robert Downey Jr. signed to voice the super-smart, bespectacled canine.
The new animated feature, planned for 2014, aims to bring the duo back to the pop culture mainstream. “Certainly for Boomers, they’re in the sweet spot of our childhood animation memories, but beyond there it gets a little bit, well, not quite as familiar,” says director Rob Minkoff (The Lion King).
Continue Reading →
Posted in: Action · Animation · Announcements · Casting · Classics · Comedy · Dreamworks · Movies · News
Tagged: Dreamworks, Jeffrey Ventimilia, Joshua Sternin, Lion King, Peabody and Sherman, Rob Minkoff, Robert Downey Jr., Rocky and Bullwinkle