Yeah, yeah, I know it's been awhile since I've updated this blog. I promise once again not to fall too far behind (though we'll see how long that promise lasts). I may actually mean it this time because with the Apple Vision Pro making 3D movie drops an event again, there just might be more to talk about. Right now I want to talk briefly about the 4K 3D re-release of Henry Selick's (NOT Tim Burton's) "Coraline," which started out as a one-night Fathom Event and got extended to a one-week release due to great pre-sale numbers. The release has since been extended to a second week where it has (thus far) earned a staggering $37.7 million in its re-release! A few things to keep in mind about this re-release:
- "Coraline" made roughly the same amount of money during the opening of this re-release as it did when it was first released back in 2010.
- This re-release made more money than the re-releases of "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace," "Avatar," and several of the 3D re-releases of Disney classic films (you'll note that all of these movies had 3D re-releases as well).
- Due to this re-release Laika's upcoming film - "Wildwood" - is getting a huge boost.
- None of these screenings qualify for Regal Unlimited or AMC Stubs A-List (believe me, I've looked).
- Most tickets sold have been for the 3D screenings, and most are continuously sold out.
The reasons for this re-release doing especially well are numerous. From the movie becoming a nostalgia cult classic, to the lack of competition from family films, to the fact that "Coraline" has become a classic movie that is now being passed on to the next generation, there is one reason that is (obviously) being overlooked: the 3D presentation itself. While I personally do not believe "Coraline" is the best 3D presentation of an animated film (that honor is a tossup between "How to Train Your Dragon" and Robert Zemeckis's "A Christmas Carol"), it is one of those essential 3D movies that loses something when you watch it in 2D.
The 3D is so essential that even standard BluRays of the film typically have the
red and green anaglyph glasses so viewers can
somewhat enjoy the immersive experience. So when it came time to do this re-release, the people at Laika and Fathom Events wisely leaned into the fact that this was a 4K
3D presentation. There were many people who have not seen "Coraline" in 3D for many years, and they have fond memories of doing so. Seeing that 3D TVs are still MIA (for the time being), this was one of the only ways for fans of the film to see the 3D presentation of "Coraline" in a way that wasn't completely compromised by old technology.
It also goes on to prove what I have been saying here for years: that a great 3D presentation is not only something that can help the movies but can still be profitable. As a result of this I fully expect a few more re-releases of 3D movies that were hits back in the day to be released in theaters once again. This will be great for 3D fans who want to relive these experiences in theaters once more. Will it result in a new wave of 3D movies? Eh...I expect it might inspire 3D coats of paint to popular 2D movies instead. Which is a shame because a huge lesson that should be learned from this is that great 3D not only makes great movies better, but can also be profitable in the long run. I expect Hollywood to learn the wrong lesson once again.
My brief YouTube Short review
