Hollywood Reporter: Disney Uncorks 'Aladdin' DVD

[Sydney]

The Walt Disney Co. is restoring the 1992 animated feature "Aladdin" for its Oct. 5 DVD debut, studio executives said.

"The marketing campaign is going to be even bigger than we had for 'Finding Nemo,"' said Robert Chapek, president of Disney's Buena Vista Home Entertainment arm.

"Aladdin" marks the third title to be released in Disney's DVD Platinum Series, following the reissues of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" and "The Lion King."

"Snow White" has sold about 7 million combined DVD and VHS units to consumers since its fall 2001 rerelease, and "The Lion King" has topped 11 million since its reissue last year.

"The October release time frame has provided us with the longest legs on such titles," Chapek said. "It gives us big initial sales, and then these classic titles tend to get a second sales boost during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday shopping season."

Featuring a remixed 5.1 surround sound home theater track, the "Aladdin" double-disc DVD also will include a deleted song called "Proud of Your Boy" by Academy Award-winning songwriters Howard Ashman and Alan Menken. The film features the voices of Robin Williams, Scott Weinger, Linda Larkin, Jonathan Freeman and Gilbert Gottfried.

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[Sydney]

Here's me-- DROOLING over the prospect of the addition of the menken song to the movie. I love that song, it's on menken's box set "the music behind the magic", and also in "the alan menken songbook". It's beautiful.

Also, YAY for aladdin finally getting to DVD. I will buy whatever SUPER HAPPY HUGE UBER BOX SET they come up with, so i hope they make a good one.

[Sydney]

"Aladdin" marks the third title to be released in Disney's DVD Platinum Series, following the reissues of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" and "The Lion King."

Um... am i wrong, or are they? I count this as the 4th platinum release... Snow, BEAUTY, Lion King... and then aladdin. correct?

[getbak]

Um... am i wrong, or are they? I count this as the 4th platinum release... Snow, BEAUTY, Lion King... and then aladdin. correct?

Yes, they've had one "Platinum" release every October since 2001:

2001 - Snow White
2002 - Beauty and the Beast
2003 - Lion King
2004 - Aladdin
2005 - Little Mermaid?
2006 - Cinderella?


I wonder if they'll ever do the IMAX release for Aladdin that was originally supposed to happen in January?

[disneyfreak62]

'bout time!

[Santa Monica]

Isn't Pocahontas coming out soon?

[disneyfreak62]

Isn't Pocahontas coming out soon?

I think that's part of the "Masterpiece" collection, like "Alice" that just came out. "Mary Poppins" and "lilo and Stitch" will also be part of this collection.

[Santa Monica]

Pffft, there was a difference???

[disneyfreak62]

^ Don't know. All I know is this will be the 3RD time Poppins has been released on DVD!

[Goin2Disneyland]

The platinum release schedule will double in 2005, with the release of one in the spring and one in the fall. Thus far, we don't know what will come out when. If I remember correctly, The Little Mermaid, Cinderella, Bambi, Peter Pan, Fantasia, 101 Dalmatians, The Jungle Book, Pinocchio and Lady and the Tramp are the remaining titles.