The news site of Verona High School

The Fairviewer

The news site of Verona High School

The Fairviewer

The news site of Verona High School

The Fairviewer

Lion King Returns

Hakuna Matata! Ain’t no passing craze.” These lyrics were truer than ever when Lion King was re-released this past September in 3D, topping the weekend box office and earning over $80 million total.

Disney chose to bring back this musical about a lion cub, Simba, who saves his pride land because the movie is the highest grossing animation of all time in the United States. With a critically acclaimed soundtrack, written by Elton John and Tim Rice, The Lion King is the 23rd highest-grossing film ever. This movie demonstrated what a “timeless classic” is when it opened in the number one spot 17 years after the original release.

However, the success of the opening weekend may be related to the limited time Disney allotted for it to show in theaters. Because of its unexpected success, theaters continued playing it past the two week deadline. Senior Billy Meade says he saw the movie early because “it was only out for two weeks so I got nervous I would miss my opportunity. So I seized the moment while I could.”

Nostalgia was another factor that played a major role in making the 3D version a big hit. Four of five people said they were aware the Lion King 3D was in theaters and were interested in seeing it. Senior Samantha Intili said she wished to see the movie “because it reminds me of when I was little and has a great soundtrack.”

Even after already knowing the plot, Junior Cassidy McKeen says the movie was still enjoyable and “seeing the kids watching it for first time react to the story helped (her) relive when (she) first saw it.”

Not everyone was interested in the re-release. Senior Lisa Fitzgerald states, “I hate 3D movies, plus I have it on DVD already so why would I pay to see it in theaters?”

The triumph of the The Lion King prompts the question, “Will Disney re-release other animations?” Asked what movie they would see if it were back in theaters Cassidy, Samantha, senior Jordan Bronson, and Junior Laura Hart responded, Monsters Inc., The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Finding Nemo respectively. Coincidentally, Disney and Pixar have decided to re-release the theatrical versions of all the movies listed. To date, the expected times of release are Beauty and the Beast (January 2012), Finding Nemo (September 2012), Monsters Inc. (January 2013), and Little Mermaid (September 2013).

Furthermore, Disney will be releasing the One-Disc DVD version of The Lion King from the moratorium on November 15, 2011. Perhaps releasing special edition packages is just another way for Disney to continue to make money off its classics. Will this happen with every re-release?

This process could be looked at positively or negatively. It can be exciting to see your favorite movie in theaters again or Disney could be robbing you of your money

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