Disney plans more 3D remakes after 'Lion King'

A 3D version of "Beauty and the Beast," originally from 1991, will hit screens in January next year, followed in September 2012 by Disney Pixar's "Finding Nemo," the cute fish tale which first made a splash in 2003.

Then January 2013 will see the updated version of "Monsters Inc" from 2001, followed in September 2013 by the 3D remake of "The Little Mermaid," from way back in 1989.

"Great stories and great characters are timeless, and at Disney we're fortunate to have a treasure trove of both," said Alan Bergman, president of 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," he added.

The 3D version of "The Lion King" -- a revival of Disney's 1994 animated classic about Simba the lion cub, heir to a jungle kingdom who is tricked by his uncle -- roared to the top of the north American box office in September.

By the end of last weekend it had made $79 million after three weeks in movie theaters.

The latest attempt to make 3D movies mainstream, of which James Cameron's "Avatar" led the charge in 2009, has had mixed success worldwide, varying from country to country and for different movie genres.

Some critics have been dismissive of attempts to make adapted 3D versions of films already produced using traditional techniques and cameras, rather than conceiving a movie and shooting with the new technology from the start.

(c) 2011 AFP