Everywhere you look nostalgia seems to be big these days (please see every indie band that broke up in the ’90s reuniting), and this was abundantly clear this past weekend when “The Lion King” roared back into theaters taking the number one slot. There are two ways to look at that: it’s either a depressing sign that audiences would rather flock to the familiar than take a chance on something new or maybe the fresh movies being served up just aren’t worth those hard earned dollars. We’ll put that debate aside, but you can bet Hollywood is licking its chops to see what other movies they can dig up from the vaults and make premium bucks off of. And that’s where Sony comes in, as they will be unleashing “Ghostbusters” back into theaters just shy of three decades since it first made its way to the multiplex.
On October 13th, 20th, and 27th (all Thursdays, fyi), Venkman, Stantz, Egon and Winston will be back to take on the otherworldly spirits in 500 theaters across the U.S. There will only be one screening each day so get your tickets early folks. And moreover, Sony isn’t just hauling out some old reels and sending them around the country. Instead, this will be all spiffed up with a new 2K digital print in 5.1 surround so Bill Murray‘s quips will be even more awesome. Needless to say this was a childhood favorite of many (and yes, of ours too) but we’re curious to see what the turnout will be. “The Lion King” benefited from a depleted marketplace of family movies and by its long absence from DVD. And while “Ghostbusters” has a dedicated following, it has also been widely available on DVD and BluRay for years — will fans want to fork over $12 to watch it again on a bigger screen?
Guess we’ll soon find out and you can bet Hollywood will be watching the results to see if “The Lion King” was a one-off sensation or a sign that there is still theatrical life in older titles. We’ll wait and see, but if this thing does gangbusters, you can bet the pressure to get “Ghostbusters 3” moving will increase. [via ComingSoon]