Disney and Pixar moves ‘Monsters, Inc.’ 3D release up to December

Disney and Pixar announced on Tuesday that the 3D re-release of their 2001 hit Monsters, Inc. will be released in December.

According to Deadline, the re-release of Pete Docter’s film was originally scheduled for Jan. 18, 2013. The film will now open on Dec. 19, just three months after Finding Nemo’s 3D re-release on Sept. 14.

The move allows Disney to take full advantage of the void of family films in theaters this December. The Hollywood Reporter notes that Monsters, Inc. will have December to itself, as it is the only animated film scheduled to hit theaters that month. However, there should at least still be two other animated films in theaters at the time, Disney’s Wreck-It-Ralph, which opens on Nov. 2, and DreamWorks’ Rise of the Guardians, which debuts on Nov. 18.

The re-release of Monsters, Inc. will help movie goers get reacquainted with Mike (Billy Crystal) and Sully (John Goodman) before the release of Monsters University, a prequel that hits theaters on June 21, 2013. Disney and Pixar released teasers for that film last month.

In 2001, Monsters, Inc. was a worldwide hit, making $255.9 million in North America and $525.4 worldwide.

Last week, Disney and Pixar made headlines by confirming that Andrew Stanton had signed on to direct a sequel to Finding Nemo.