Disney to Re-release Finding Nemo, Monsters, Inc., The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast in 3D

With the $80 million domestic box office success of The Lion King 3D still fresh in people's minds, Disney announced today plans to bring four more catalog titles back to theaters in Disney Digital 3D. The animated films lined up for limited theatrical engagements include the already announced Beauty and the Beast, the 1989 classic The Little Mermaid and two Pixar favorites, Monsters, Inc. and Finding Nemo.

First up will be Beauty and the Beast, which has been scheduled for a early 2012 release on January 13th. This will be followed by Finding Nemo, which will see a September 14th re-release. Hopefully this announcement precedes one for the release of Finding Nemo on Blu-ray, as it is currently the only Pixar film that has not been released on the format.

Monsters, Inc. has been slated for January 18th, 2013 (about six months before its prequel, Monsters University hits theaters). The last confirmed re-release is the Disney animated classic The Little Mermaid, which has been scheduled for a September 13th, 2013 opening.

Alan Bergman, President of the Walt Disney Studios, issued a statement saying, "Great stories and great characters are timeless, and at Disney we're fortunate to have a treasure trove of both. 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."