APossibly, though nothing appears confirmed. Ever since the lackluster and poorly received 2003 standard edition DVD was released, rumors have been circulating regarding a special edition of the 1977 film. Sometime around 2005/06, a rumor spread claiming that the film would be released as the second "Masterpiece Edition" title (following the 2004 release of "Alice in Wonderland"), in a two-disc release intended to commemorate the film's 30th anniversary on June 22nd, 2007. After the date passed, the updated reissues of "The Aristocats" (1970), "Robin Hood" (1973) and "The Fox and the Hound" (1981), among others, from their previous Gold Classic Collection DVDs were believed to signal that an updated release of "The Rescuers" was on its way.At this point, "The Rescuers" remains the only pre-'90s Walt Disney animated film (excluding the '40s package features) outside of the Platinum/Diamond Edition line to not have been reissued from its original DVD edition. This was regarded as a signal that Walt Disney Home Entertainment was preparing something of a larger scale for "The Rescuers," and an article on ZonaDVD.es made a credible announcement that the film was expected to be re-released on DVD and Blu-ray as part of the Platinum Edition (or now Diamond Edition) line in March of 2013, explaining the lack of a quick DVD reissue in recent years cutting sales of a later release.The standard 2003 DVD edition was discontinued sometime around November 2011, confirming a future updated release. No word yet on the updated edition.01.26.12. The pamphlet included with Disney's 2012 release of 'Lady and the Tramp' announced a 35th Anniversary Edition of The Rescuers on DVD and Blu-ray, packaged together with its 1990 sequel. The updated edition is announced for a summer 2012 release.
AYes, but only on certain out-of-print VHS copies. The issue in question was released on January 5th, 1999, as part of the extensive "Masterpiece Collection" line, after the original Thanksgiving 1998 release date was delayed. Three days later, on January 8th, Walt Disney Home Entertainment announced a recall of approximately 3.4 million copies of "The Rescuers," claiming that there was something inappropriate in the video and needed to be edited. Immediately, many interested and curious consumers rushed to obtain copies of the VHS release, knowing it would soon become a collector's item. The truth, which Disney attempted to suppress, was shortly afterwards revealed. Around 28 minutes into the film, in the scene in which Miss Bianca and Bernard are flying past New York City buildings aboard Orville the albatross, a small image of a topless woman had been pasted over a window in the background in two non-sequential frames, making it impossible to be perceived by the naked eye, and requiring a frame-by-frame inspection. Disney ensured that the 1992 VHS release was "clean" for it had been made from a different print, and that the offensive image had been placed on the film back in 1977, during post-production.Just who inserted the image into the film, or why, has never been explained and is believed to be unknown. Numerous theories surfaced immediately after the event. One theory blamed Disney, accusing them of fabricating the scandal in order to boost sales. "The Rescuers," a massive success upon its initial theatrical release and a fruitful seller on home video, did not, however, require such a scheme in order to fulfill its sales expectations. Another unconfirmed theory blamed animator Don Bluth, who was known to walk out of the Disney Studio during the production of the film. The theory claimed that out of wrath, Bluth had had the image inserted during post-production, in order to sabotage or jeopardize the success of the film, or the reputation of the studio. Finally, some consumers made connections between this incident and the other accusations Disney had received about 'questionable' material "found" on other animated films, including "The Lion King" (1994), "Aladdin" (1992) and "The Little Mermaid" (1989), though all of the rumors concerning these films have been proven false. Other, less notable theories were proposed as well.Following the controversy, Disney never again advertised a release for the 1977 "The Rescuers," releasing it quietly on DVD, with no more publicity or flair than the standard press release. Fans of the film have complained several times regarding this decision, and rumors have been circulating the web ever since regarding updated "special" editions of the film, twelve years after the incident became yesterday's news. Currently, "The Rescuers" is believed to have been considered for the prestigious Diamond Edition DVD & Blu-Ray line, with a release scheduled for March of 2013.
