To celebrate 100 years, Universal will feature a new logo and restore 13 classic films.
The studio’s official anniversary date is April 30th.
As for the films which will undergo restoration, they are All Quiet on the Western Front, The Birds, Abbott and Costello’s Buck Privates, Dracula (1931), the Spanish-language Dracula filmed on the same set night, Frankenstein, Jaws, Schindler’s List, Out of Africa, Pillow Talk, Bride of Frankenstein, The Sting and To Kill a Mockingbird.
The animated version of the new logo debuts with Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax at its February premiere (before its March 2 theatrical release).
The restorations, which will be released throughout the studio’s year-long centennial celebration, took three to six months each and cost $250,000 to $600,000 per title, Universal SVP, Technical Operations Michael Daruty told The Hollywood Reporter and others at a sneak preview of the extraordinarily impressive results on the studio lot on Dec. 1. “This restoration effort was not about marketability and whether we’re gonna sell enough DVDs,” said Daruty. “That is what we do on a daily basis, but this was a commitment by the company to say, ‘We’re gonna devote funding and most probably continue that effort year over year, to try and preserve and restore the legacy of the company. We’re here to spend the money on these 13 titles and some others, whether we’re gonna get our money back in that first year or not.’ It’s really refreshing.”
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