'The Lion King' is the highest grossing hand-drawn animation film in history. File Photo / Supplied
'The Lion King' is the highest grossing hand-drawn animation film in history. File Photo / Supplied
Fans of one of Disney's most beloved animated films will get one last chance to see it in theatres this month - some 17 years after it was first released.
Arguably the last - and some would say the greatest - Disney hand-drawn film, The Lion King has been givena 3D makeover.
The 3D version of the film will play in theatres for just two weeks, before it is re-released on DVD.
Surveys indicate that The Lion King 3-D could sell $10 million to $12 million in tickets over its first three days in the United States alone, with some marketers with access to the data say $18 million is possible, according to the New York Times.
Disney said The Lion King 3-D was not a test; even if it goes well, the studio does not plan on routinely converting other beloved films in its library to the format and re-releasing them in theaters. A Disney spokeswoman said the 3-D release was more of a way to keep an aging film fresh while allowing a new generation of children to experience it in theaters.
The film was the highest grossing animated film of all time, until the release of Finding Nemo almost 10 years later but remains the highest grossing hand drawn animation film in history.
