Disney tries for 3-D magic again with ‘Beauty and the Beast’
It’s a tale as old as time. But will it be a hit in 2012?
The 1991 animated classic “Beauty and the Beast” is getting a 3-D re-release this weekend, and Walt Disney Studios is hoping the film will appeal to a new generation of moviegoers. The picture will probably be in a tight race for the No. 1 box-office spot with the Mark Wahlberg action flick “Contraband.” Pre-release audience surveys indicate that each movie is expected to debut with $17 million to $20 million over the four-day Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.
Lagging behind could be “Joyful Noise,” the religious-themed musical starring Queen Latifah and Dolly Parton, which is projected to open with about $15 million.
If the success of last year’s 3-D re-release of “The Lion King” is any indication, the new “Beauty and the Beast” could have an edge this weekend. Both Disney and the industry at large were surprised when the reformatted jungle tale opened to a strong $30.2 million in September. The movie ultimately raked in $94.2 million domestically, prompting the studio to plan 3-D reissues of four other titles from its animation catalog.
The debut of the updated “Beauty and the Beast” is likely to be a bellwether for the prospects of Disney’s similar upcoming re-releases — “Finding Nemo,” “Monsters, Inc.” and “The Little Mermaid.” The studio is expecting “Beauty” to perform only half as well as “The Lion King” by the end of its run, because the original fairy tale pulled in a total of $171.4 million in the U.S. and Canada, compared with the animal story’s $422.8 million.
Disney spent less than $10 million to convert “Beauty” to 3-D.
Whereas the animated film targets a family audience, “Contraband” is an action thriller expected to appeal mostly to young males. The movie, a remake of the Icelandic hit “Reykjavik-Rotterdam,” stars Wahlberg as a con man taking on his final crime. The picture was co-financed by Universal Pictures and Relativity Media for about $25 million.
Wahlberg is coming off the success of 2010’s critical and commercial hit “The Fighter,” the boxing drama that opened to $12.1 million and ended up with an impressive $93.6 million in ticket sales. However, the actor’s last two action films — 2007’s “Shooter” and 2008’s “Max Payne” — did only middling business, each bringing in less than $50 million.
“Joyful Noise” marks Parton’s return to the big screen after two decades; her last project was the box-office dud “Straight Talk” in 1992. The country star also had major roles in two more successful films, the 1989 tear-jerker “Steel Magnolias” and the 1980 comedy “Nine to Five.”
Latifah, meanwhile, has not proved to be a big box-office draw in recent years. Her last big role came in 2010’s “Just Wright,” a romantic comedy that grossed $21.5 million.
“Joyful Noise” is being distributed by Warner Bros. but was produced by Alcon Entertainment for about $25 million. The film may strike a chord with a faith-based audience, however, as the story centers on the financial troubles of a small-town church choir. Last year, movies with religious themes, including “Soul Surfer,” “Courageous” and Alcon’s own “Dolphin Tale,” did respectable business in theaters.
