A 100-year life-span is no small feat and Disney knows that best. The Walt Disney Company is ready to celebrate its birthday on 16 October, marking a century since its inception in 1923. Disney has announced a 100-movie Blu-ray collection, set to release on 14 November this year.Â
During a special showcase event at Destination D23 at Walt Disney World Resort in Central Florida, Disney announced the upcoming release of its Disney Legacy Animated Film Collection, which will showcase a list of a hundred curated movies from Disney and Pixar. Featuring both old and new films, the limited box set will be available for preorder from the Walmart website, starting 18 September and for distribution in November.
What’s in the Disney Legacy Animated Film Collection?
The Disney 100 Blu-ray collection will include three hardbound, self-standing volumes, featuring a hundred animated movies on Blu-ray from Disney and Pixar, along with original theatrical poster artwork inlaid with their release dates. The set will also include digital codes for all the listed films and a numbered certificate of authenticity. With the buzz around Disney’s upcoming movie, Wish, a lithographic poster will be added as a collectible.
The Disney100 Movies Blu-ray collection is an exciting collectible. (Image Courtesy – Disney)
Another collectible mentioned is a crystal Mickey Mouse ear cap engraved with the Disney100 icon. The muted white and gold set has been priced at a steep $1500, emphasizing the “limited-edition” air of it all.
Movies Featured in the Disney 100 Blu-ray CollectionÂ
According to a report by The Wrap, the oldest listed movie is Disney’s first 1937 release, Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs. It will also feature some of their lesser-appreciated movies such as Saludos Amigos (1943), Make Mine Music (1946), and The Great Mouse Detective (1986). The featured films will undoubtedly also include their best-performing animations such as the Frozen and Toy Story series, and the most recent 2023 Pixar release, Elemental. Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) and Frankenweenie (2012), as well as the controversial Black Cauldron (1985), are to be included as well.
Some have wondered whether the Blu-ray set will feature the updated 4K quality releases of the older films, as Disney has also announced a remastered 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in October, following its restoration of Cinderella earlier this year. Others in the Disney animated film collection have also become available through a separate platinum collectible O-sleeves release. The Disney100 Blu-ray collection appears to be just one component in the company’s larger plan to revitalize the legacy of Disney’s filmography.
Disney Blu-ray Set: Other Destination D23 Updates
Disney’s Legacy Animated Film Collection is not the only exciting update for fans of their animation. Opening on 22 November in U.S theaters, Disney’s upcoming feature film Wish has been creating a lot of buzz recently, and fans at the event were shown ten minutes of the film. Attendees were also introduced to Disney’s new short Once Upon a Studio, which will feature an ensemble cast from Disney’s long-celebrated legacy, coming together behind the scenes.
The company also announced that their 2023 live-action film, Haunted Mansion will be coming to Disney+ on 4 October. It will also soon be available in 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, as well as on DVD on 17 October. While Disney’s live actions have been released to lukewarm audiences, they appear determined to continue with the remakes, with Snow White set to enter theaters in 2024. Despite the criticism still overflowing from The Little Mermaid (2023), Disney is not shying away from adding to its live-action legacy.
Pixar fans were also updated on the company’s move to feature Elemental on Disney+ starting 13 September, with the 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD release on 26 September. Good Chemistry: The Story of Elemental, a journey through the creation of Elemental, will also soon be made available on Disney+. Marvel and Lucasfilm fans received minor updates, but promotions for most shows are currently stuck in limbo with the ongoing SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes.Â
All in all, new releases aside, Disney has turned its attention back to its animation successes to revive nostalgia for everything it has already achieved. The new Disney Legacy Animated Film Collection presents a great opportunity for Disney fans to get their hands on the limited edition collectible and mark this monumental moment, but the high price might have many reconsidering investing in this box set of memories.