Will Pete's Dragon get a new release?

[jediliz]

Its the 30th anniversary of the movie this year. There are only 5 months left in the year. Will Disney give us a new DVD of "Pete's Dragon" before Mickey Rooney dies? I would like to own the DVD, but I really want a special edition.

Or would the gold edition be sufficent?

[QueenRahel]

i cant answer your question...but i must say that they should DEFINITELY do this...i love petes dragon and all of the music along with it...its a live action classic masterpiece...and it deserves to have a special edition just as much of the other movies...and Mickey Rooney is getting pretty old...i hope he'll be able to see the movie re-released...

[SpringHeelJack]

I doubt it...they've let so many films slip by that deserve a re-release on their anniversary (Hercules and Hunchback, anyone?). The Gold Collection will likely be the best you get for some time.

[AwallaceUNC]

I would love it if they did and a few years ago, I would have thought it likely. Given Disney's all-but-abandonment of DVD, however, I doubt we'll see this. You never know, though. I'll join you in hoping!

-Aaron

[darth_deetoo]

I can't see it happening this year but I think lots of stuff will be rolled out of the vaults over the next few years on Blu Ray.

[MikeyMouse]

Given Disney's all-but-abandonment of DVD, however, I doubt we'll see this.

What makes you say this?

[darth_deetoo]

Well, they're going to abandon DVD eventually as Blu Ray becomes more prolific.

[Mr. Toad]

Given Disney's all-but-abandonment of DVD, however, I doubt we'll see this.

What makes you say this?

What was the last catalogue release that was not 100% animation? It has been awhile since we have seen releases. That is what makes Aaron say that.

[David S.]

What was the last catalogue release that was not 100% animation? It has been awhile since we have seen releases. That is what makes Aaron say that.

This concerns me because there are still so many live action films from the Walt-era yet to see the light of day on DVD, and other former Anchor Bay titles like Big Red are still OOP.

And even the excellent treasures series has barely scratched the surface regarding the countless episodes of the excellent Disneyland/Walt Disney Presents/Wonderful World Of Color/Wonderful World Of Disney anthology series. And the Zorro series is still absent as a standard release.

Of course, this would be easier to swallow if the Disney Channel still ran the excellent Vault Disney to fill those gaps until if, and when, every frame of film produced by Walt Disney Productions gets the DVD treatment.

But with Vault Disney gone to make way for the same "Tween network" programming the Disney Channel runs 24/7, and no sign of it coming back, I'm concerned that certain films and episodes will be lost to the public for the foreseeable future.

Basically a DVD release of all the live action films and boxed sets for each season of the Anthology series and Zorro would solve this problem

[reyquila]

I hope so!!! I'll double-dip!!!

[PeterPanfan]

I don't have a VHS or DVD of this so I'm hoping this will come out.

It's such a great filma nd deserves another DVD release.

[Skellington or Sparrow]

if mickey rooney were to die before a re-release of this film they could just as well include a sort of bonus feature about the life of mickey rooney (it's just asking for some sort of pun to do with the name 'mickey' rooney). it could be a very, very nice bonus feature.

sure however, it would be sad for the film to be released after his death. but you have to remember, this goes for you and your jobs and must just as well be true for a legend such as mickey rooney: careers aren't everything. i'm sure there's much other unfinished business and other things much more important to him before.. you know.. that day comes.

[MikeyMouse]

What makes you say this?

What was the last catalogue release that was not 100% animation? It has been awhile since we have seen releases. That is what makes Aaron say that.

While they may not have released any high-profile back catalog titles on DVD in the recent past, they are still releasing plenty of titles, new and otherwise, on DVD. A simple check of the Recent Releases page will show you that. Sure, it may not be the type of stuff that collectors and non-tween/teens want to see, but to say that Disney is "abandoning" DVD is a bit of an overstatement in my opinion.

The simple economic fact is that it isn't profitable to spend the time and money it would take to re-master and re-release titles that aren't likely to generate huge sales (such as their Animated Classics) for the sake of celebrating an anniversary or to correct flaws or imperfections in previous releases. Should they release Zorro and other previously unseen-on-DVD material? Absolutely. But would it be economically viable to revisit the likes of "The Absent Minded Professor" or "The Apple Dumpling Gang", or even borderline classics like "Pete's Dragon" or "Bedknobs and Broomsticks" considering these titles are already available on DVD to those who want them? Sure, we'd all like to have the super-duper-deluxe-special-edition of all these movies, but despite our knowledge, expertise, and fervor, we're in the minority. The average parent who wants to buy a copy of "Pete's Dragon" for their kids to enjoy the same way they did doesn't care whether there's a 2nd disc with a Mickey Rooney retrospective on it.

Just my $0.02, for what it's worth...

[MikeyMouse]

Well, they're going to abandon DVD eventually as Blu Ray becomes more prolific.

Oh, and don't be too sure that Disney's going to hitch their wagon to one and only one format moving forward. Remember: DVD was and is an industry-wide standard. HD-DVD and Blu Ray are still competing formats. Regardless of the benefits, there's always the chance that Blu Ray will become the Beta Max of the 2000's. If the two consortiums ever settle their differences and agree on one next-gen format, then I could see Disney jumping in head-first. Not before then, though...

[Cordy_Biddle]

While I'm quite happy with the current "Pete's Dragon" DVD, if a new edition came out with cooperation from Helen Reddy and Mickey Rooney, I wouldn't say no.

After all, this was Helen Reddy's first big movie and I'm sure she'd like to share her memories.

I agree with the others about Disney ramping down with their live-action back catalogue titles. Where is "The Horsemasters", "The Fighting Prince of Donegal", "Dr. Syn", and "Charley & the Angel", among others?

[darth_deetoo]

Oh, and don't be too sure that Disney's going to hitch their wagon to one and only one format moving forward. Remember: DVD was and is an industry-wide standard. HD-DVD and Blu Ray are still competing formats. Regardless of the benefits, there's always the chance that Blu Ray will become the Beta Max of the 2000's. If the two consortiums ever settle their differences and agree on one next-gen format, then I could see Disney jumping in head-first. Not before then, though...

Well, it looks more and more likely that Blu Ray will win. Some industry analysts are suggesting the formats could co-exist. We'll wait and see. The expectation is that by 2012 Hi Def will have fully taken over from Standard DVD though, and I would expect Disney to be well into their Hi Def releases by that time.

It doesn't really bother me which format wins, or if they co-exist now as I've got both players now. I think each format has advantages, but movies look awesome in either format. I think as more and more people get large screen displays capable of displaying Hi Def pictures, they'll be wanting to make the changeover to HD DVD too.

[MikeyMouse]

Well, it looks more and more likely that Blu Ray will win. Some industry analysts are suggesting the formats could co-exist. We'll wait and see. The expectation is that by 2012 Hi Def will have fully taken over from Standard DVD though, and I would expect Disney to be well into their Hi Def releases by that time.

It doesn't really bother me which format wins, or if they co-exist now as I've got both players now. I think each format has advantages, but movies look awesome in either format. I think as more and more people get large screen displays capable of displaying Hi Def pictures, they'll be wanting to make the changeover to HD DVD too.

Oh, I'm not predicting who will win or lose, I'm just saying that completely abandoning DVD for Blu Ray or HD-DVD at this point wouldn't be a good business decision...and I'm sure Disney knows that. For one, the next-gen format chosen might go the way of the dodo, as I mentioned before. Secondly, DVD has a much higher market penetration right now, and is likely to be the dominant home video format for some time to come. Just like companies still had to produce VHS cassettes up to and through the early-mid 2000's due to the fact that not everyone had a DVD player, they will have to continue producing DVDs. I certainly hope the future comes quickly, though, as I'd love to see companies truly begin to explore and exploit a new format.

[AwallaceUNC]

Sure, it may not be the type of stuff that collectors and non-tween/teens want to see, but to say that Disney is "abandoning" DVD is a bit of an overstatement in my opinion.

True, abandoment is too strong a term, but the point that it makes is valid. Look at the Disney's 2007 release schedule and compare it with the last several years. The major tentpole reissues and new release DVDs are there, as well as the Disney Channel stuff, but there isn't much more. Gone is the steady stream of catalog titles and double-disc editions. Much of what comes bearing the Disney name now is a near-duplicate of previous DVDs. Also compare the recent schedule of Touchstone/Hollywood/Miramax/etc. films being released/reissued to DVD to that of the last few years. Disney never really embraced DVD with the fervor that some studios did, but for a while, they came pretty close. It seems that they now have their eyes set on the high-def formats awaiting them in the future, deciding either to bank on Blu-Ray and pass off on DVD altogether or (as is more likely the case) keep a cautious eye on the market and maintain a restrained release schedule in the meantime.

A year or two ago, a <i>Pete's Dragon</i>: Special Edition would have been a distinct possibility. Today, it seems highly unlikely. The same goes for a number of the animated classics, unreleased catalog titles, and special editions of Touchstone properties like <i>Sister Act</i> to follow the 2005 <i>Father of the Bride</i> and <i>Beaches</i> Special Editions.

I'm not criticising Disney for any of this. My post was just an observation. I'm actually more optimistic regarding the future of Disney DVD than I've let on, but 2007 BVHE doesn't offer much support for excitement.

-Aaron

[darth_deetoo]

Oh I'm not suggesting Disney is going to throw everything out on Blu Ray disc immediately, and I'm sure they've learn't there lesson with DVD. The fact that they aren't issuing animated classics until next year shows they're being a bit more cautious with their properties. I think it's also telling that the first animated classic to hit Blu Ray is Sleeping Beauty - a fine film to be sure, but certainly not one of the highest regarded Disney movies - yet it's a film that should be able to shine on Blu Ray. When the likes of Snow White, Fantasia and Beauty and the Beast were released on DVD, the format hadn't reached market penetration, and those early DVD editions have now become highly sought after on the secondary market. I suspect Disney are wanting to avoid that happening again on Blu Ray.

[UncleEd]

Even though it's total BS, Mickey Rooney has OFTEN insisted that Walt named Mickey Mouse after him. However, if you go back and look this can not be true because Rooney was unknown in 1928. Besides, we all know Walt really stole the name from the Performo Toy Company as doccumented on History Detectives. Mickey Rooney was also the voice of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit in the Walter Lanz cartoons.