The Wizard Of Oz Being Converted To 3D In 2013

The Wizard of Oz cast
(Image credit: Loew's, Inc)

This year marked some major studio anniversaries, as both Paramount Pictures and Universal Pictures celebrated their 100th year of existence. But they're not the only ones with big birthdays. Warner Bros. Pictures, which was established on April 4, 1923, will be enjoying its 90th year of releasing premium movies in 2013 and they will be celebrating in a big way for Blu-ray/DVD collectors.

THR has learned that the studio's Home Entertainment division is planning some major releases next year that celebrate the long history and major impact that WB has had on the filmmaking world. While not all of the specifics were laid out, some of the big plans that they have in the works are a 3D conversion of The Wizard of Oz - which will also get a limited theatrical run prior to the disc release - as well as a 40-film DVD collection of Clint Eastwood's work with the studio. That set will also come with a special documentary about the filmmaker's legacy.

As for their other films, the studio has a number of 20-film DVD collections divided into different categories and "Blu-ray sets include gangster collections, a James Dean collection and others, many featuring films released for the first time in Blu-ray high definition."

Obviously the big announcement here, though, is The Wizard of Oz conversion. The original, of course, was a major film in the transition from black and white to color movies, so in a way it fits, but at the same time you kind of just want them to leave it alone. Leave your thoughts about the situation in the comments below.

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Eric Eisenberg is the Assistant Managing Editor at CinemaBlend. After graduating Boston University and earning a bachelor’s degree in journalism, he took a part-time job as a staff writer for CinemaBlend, and after six months was offered the opportunity to move to Los Angeles and take on a newly created West Coast Editor position. Over a decade later, he's continuing to advance his interests and expertise. In addition to conducting filmmaker interviews and contributing to the news and feature content of the site, Eric also oversees the Movie Reviews section, writes the the weekend box office report (published Sundays), and is the site's resident Stephen King expert. He has two King-related columns.