No Lion King for Australia in 2003 :(

Loomis · Post by **Loomis** » Wed Aug 20, 2003 7:22 am

This was just posted on the <a href="http://www.dvdbits.com"> DVDBits </a> webiste.

Its Not Going To Be A "Lion King" Christmas (Region 4 News)

Having just got off the phone from Buena Vista's marketing department, I can confirm that Australia will not receive a Lion King DVD this year as the rest of the world will, instead, look for a release in March 2004. Or better still, let them know that we are not second class citizens, and import the R1 release on October 22nd. Very disappointing Buena Vista....

I had already ordered mine from the US, but this is a major bummer for Aussie consumers.

2099net · Post by **2099net** » Wed Aug 20, 2003 7:36 am

March 2004 - which is when France will be getting their Aladdin Disc

Disney really need to standardise on release dates and supplements.

It would be nice to think the Australian delay would mean that their set will get more supplements, just like America does when they have later releases than the rest of the world... but I can't see that happening.

Loomis · Post by **Loomis** » Wed Aug 20, 2003 4:57 pm

2099net wrote:March 2004 - which is when France will be getting their Aladdin Disc

Disney really need to standardise on release dates and supplements. It would be nice to think the Australian delay would mean that their set will get more supplements, just like America does when they have later releases than the rest of the world... but I can't see that happening.

It is quite strange though. If they have geared up for a worldwide release, I can't see why Australia isn't being included.
Once again, we have inconsistent releases around the globe, for no given reason. And I doubt very much we will be given additional supplements. We tend to get less...
I was fortunate enough to buy a multi-region player, but it is hard to be encouraged to 'buy local' when news like this comes around.
Disney Australia have been quite useless of late (their PR section especially), although we have managed to get a number of things the US has not.
Mind you, when it comes to the BIG things, we are far behind.
But only with Disney. Every other major studio seems to be releasing their big releases here on time.
Very very odd...

indianajdp · Post by **indianajdp** » Wed Aug 20, 2003 5:51 pm

That is very odd ... I would think that Australia is a significant enough market and making the Holiday season would be a priority for Disney. I mean, what could the delay possibly have to do with?

Loomis · Post by **Loomis** » Wed Aug 20, 2003 6:18 pm

indianajdp wrote:I mean, what could the delay possibly have to do with?

I'm not sure...BUT I checked the OFLC (the Aussie classification board) and there doesn't seem to be any reference to the Lion King there (and most other upcoming Disney releases have been passed).
Given that the IMAX version was passed by the board, I doubt seriously there was a problem there.
But you never know with our OFLC...

Jake Lipson · Post by **Jake Lipson** » Sat Sep 06, 2003 11:08 am

Anyone know when Austriallia is going to be getting their DVD release of The Lion King 1 1/2? Buena Vista Austriallia might think that it's a smarter marketing strategy to release both TLK and TLK1.5 at the same time, thus allowing TLK1.5 to "piggyback" on the sure-fire success of the original movie's DVD. It seems that we in the US are getting a mid-February release, so a March bow of TLK and TLK1.5 in AU might be reasonable, even if not fan friendly for Austriallians. Sorry everybody!

Loomis · Post by **Loomis** » Sat Sep 06, 2003 5:39 pm

It does seem quite a reasonable assumption, Jake.
BVHE AU never did seem too concerned about being 'fan friendly', so I suspect you could be right. If luck holds, we might even get a re-release of LK2 at that stage as well.
Mind you, they don't seem to be too big on marketing 'strategies' either (unless you count not saying anything about the disc until after the release date as a 'strategy').

Cheers!

poco · Post by **poco** » Sat Sep 06, 2003 7:41 pm

Loomis,

sorry to hear the bad news. This is a major bummer. They are not doing SB this way are they?

Jake Lipson · Post by **Jake Lipson** » Sat Sep 06, 2003 8:10 pm

Loomis wrote:It does seem quite a reasonable assumption, Jake.
BVHE AU never did seem too concerned about being 'fan friendly', so I suspect you could be right. If luck holds, we might even get a re-release of LK2 at that stage as well.Cheers!

We'll be getting a special edition (or, re-release called special edition with a 16x9 restored transfer and mostly kiddie games for extras) in August 2004, so that theroy might hold, too. I wouldn't be suprised at all if you got Lion King, 1.5, and Simba's Pride released in March or April of 2004 at the same time. Wouldn't be the first time you guys got a disc before we do (Simba's Pride.)

2099net · Post by **2099net** » Sun Sep 07, 2003 3:20 am

Didn't I read somewhere the delay was something to do with The Lion King musical playing (or about to play) in Sydney? They want to do a combined promotion?

Loomis · Post by **Loomis** » Sun Sep 07, 2003 3:26 am

2099net wrote:Didn't I read somewhere the delay was something to do with The Lion King musical playing (or about to play) in Sydney? They want to do a combined promotion?

I hadn't read that, but that is also a possibility. The musical has just started (or started taking bookings) recently, so that could very well be the reason.
Not sure if I want to bother with that actually...

Now, Stitch! The Musical is a different story...

Jake Lipson · Post by **Jake Lipson** » Sun Sep 07, 2003 8:36 am

Loomis wrote:Not sure if I want to bother with that actually...

Yes, you do want to bother with that. The musical is touring here early next year, and in anticipation I picked up the Broadway cast recording CD recently and WOW! This version of The Lion King, or at least the music, is incredible. It's very different (in a good way) from the movie and definately something you'll want to see. All of the hits from the movie are here, albit in slightly different forms - Circle of Life is more African-influnced than in the movie and you'd be hard pressed to tell you were listening to the same song if it didn't share the same lyrics with the movie version - and in addition to wonderfully new imaginings of the classics, all of the new numbers (including Morning Report, which I think you'll like a lot better in the context of the musical where it has a place) are brilliantly done and fit right into the fabric of the story that the original songs so wonderfully established. It's truly a fuller and more complete version of The Lion King story, and while I still regard the original movie soundtrack CD as the one to have, any serious Lion King fan owes it to himself or herself to go see the musical if they ever are blessed with a chance to do so. Some of the new numbers could even be called better than the five classics -- and I will always wonder why they chose to put Morning Report in the movie as opposed to Simba's haunting big number, Endless Night, or Nala's, Shadowland.

Loomis · Post by **Loomis** » Sun Sep 07, 2003 5:37 pm

Jake Lipson wrote:
Loomis wrote:Not sure if I want to bother with that actually...
Yes, you do want to bother with that.

Ok, thanks for the tip Jake.
I MAY still check it out. I DO want to see it, but it is the money that concerns me the most. Tickets here are quite expensive, and I just plonked down some hard rebated cash on tickets for a gig for one of my favourite bands in December (Powderfinger) - and I got pretty damn good seats I might add - so I'll see if I can budget for LK at some stage...

Loomis · Post by **Loomis** » Mon Sep 15, 2003 6:38 pm

I was in a record store last night and I saw a trailer running for the Lion King DVD.
The sound was off, of course (the latest in crap music had to be played 70 times that of human tolerance) but it said "Coming March 2004" on screen.

So I guess that is "official" confirmation that we won't be seeing LK in Australia until next year

Prince Phillip · Post by **Prince Phillip** » Mon Sep 15, 2003 7:09 pm

Sorry to hear that Loomis, but global consistancy isn't just a problem with disney dvds. Last year the rest of the world, including Australia, got Buffy season 4 in widescreen, the US is the only country to get fullscreen and the dvd set was also released here later, so it seems to be a whole dvd thing. Me personally I don't mind the incocsistancy because it leaves some suspense, if disney was releasing all their dvd worls wide in sink, then we would know... hmmm if france is getting so and so then we must too, and it just makes it more fun this way, IMO.

Good job ordering the us LK though.

MickeyMouseboy · Post by **MickeyMouseboy** » Mon Sep 15, 2003 8:29 pm

Maybe Mickey decided not to release Lion King this year cause maybe some little Australian boy or girl isn't behaving well!

Loomis · Post by **Loomis** » Tue Sep 16, 2003 12:41 am

MickeyMouseboy wrote:Maybe Mickey decided not to release Lion King this year cause maybe some little Australian boy or girl isn't behaving well!

He knows when we've been sleeping, he knows when we're wake...

I knew unleashing Russel Crowe (and Kylie & the whole Neighbours/Home and Away thing) on the world would come back to bite us eventually

Although technically, Russel Crowe a New Zealander.

That brings up an interesting question. I wonder if New Zealand is getting this. They are R4 as well, so I would imagine not until we do.
I wonder if they have separate releases or it is like the US & Canada - all R1 so pretty much the same...

Matty-Mouse · Post by **Matty-Mouse** » Tue Sep 16, 2003 11:20 am

The Minogues Rule they have nothing to do with this. Dame Edna on the other hand...

MickeyMouseboy · Post by **MickeyMouseboy** » Tue Sep 16, 2003 11:52 am

Matty-Mouse wrote:The Minogues

I thought Kylie was the only one

Matty-Mouse · Post by **Matty-Mouse** » Wed Sep 17, 2003 11:37 am

Well officialy theres 3 Kylie, Dannii and their brother whose name I cant think of right now. But he's not famous. Dannii has had moderate success over here in the UK and in Oz doing things that people consider kylie rip off's. She ain't bad actually but thats a whole other topic.

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No Lion King for Australia in 2003 :(

No Lion King for Australia in 2003 :(