It may have taken over a decade in arriving, but Toy Story 3 is officially on its way — and Disney is throwing a big ol’ 3-D party to celebrate its arrival.
The studio announced Thursday that not only will Toy Story 3 arrive in theaters June 18, 2010, and not only will it be presented in Disney Digital 3-D, but it’ll be preceded by theatrical re-releases for Toy Story (on October 2, 2009) and Toy Story 2 (on February 12, 2010).
Oh, and by the way, they’ll both be in 3-D, too. Walt Disney chairman Dick Cook said it best:
“We are committed to bringing moviegoers the best and most exciting 3-D movie experience, and we think they’re going to love seeing Buzz Lightyear, Woody, and all the wonderful ‘Toy Story’ cast of characters in an eye popping and dazzling way. John Lasseter and the animation team are putting all their passion and hard work into making this the greatest 3-D experience yet, and we’re excited to share their efforts with audiences everywhere.”
Lasseter, adding to the overall vibe of peace, love, and sweet animated goodness, added:
“The ‘Toy Story’ films and characters will always hold a very special place in our hearts and we’re so excited to be bringing this landmark film back for audiences to enjoy in a whole new way thanks to the latest in 3-D technology. I am sure that this is going to be nothing short of fantastic and people are going to be blown away by the experience. With ‘Toy Story 3’ shaping up to be another great adventure for Buzz, Woody and the gang from Andy’s room, we thought it would be great to let audiences experience the first two films all over again and in a brand new way. 3-D offers lots of great new possibilities for the art of animation and we will continue to use this new technology to tell our stories in the best possible way.”
According to Disney’s announcement, Lasseter will “personally oversee” the 3-D conversion process for the first two Toy Story movies, which will involve “retrieving all the original digital elements and rebuilding them.” Lee Unkrich, co-director of Toy Story 2, will direct Toy Story 3.
