If you leave a movie theater this weekend thinking you’ve seen the film before, you might not be experiencing déjà vu. Several movies have been recently re-released in 3-D, so chances are you saw the same exact movie several years ago.

Hollywood has been re-releasing their already popularized films into 3-D. These well-known titles include Disney classics like “The Lion King” and “Beauty and the Beast.” The Blockbusters “Star Wars” and “Titanic” are also scheduled for a 3-D makeover later this year.

Jeffrey Brown, an associate professor in the pop culture department, said that money is the reason Hollywood is revamping these films.

“George Lucas isn’t rich enough,” Brown said. “3-D movies get a big payday and are fairly easy to update.”

Although some theatergoers have already seen the 2-D version of a film, they might still pay the extra ticket price to see the movie in 3-D, Brown said.

“It’s like music,” Brown said. “They had it as a record, then an 8-track, then a cassette and now they’re buying an MP3.”

In addition to adding the 3-D element, some re-released films might include re-digitized animation or even deleted scenes.

“Some of these films have a cult following,” Brown said. “People will go see something for the one hundredth time if just one little thing is new.”

Instead of creating a new product, Hollywood is actually saving money by turning old products into 3-D, according to Daniel Williams, an associate professor in the theatre and film department.

“There’s an audience for the Disney movies,” Williams said. “They’re reintroducing themselves to a new generation and generating a quick return.”

The popularity of 3-D has risen throughout the years. Whether the trend sticks is up to the consumers and whether they are willing to pay to see movies in a new dimension.

“It’ll stay around as long as there’s an audience for it,” Williams said. “3-D movies are a market for dreams, and as a species, we enjoy the story process.”

Junior Kaileigh Buckley just saw the 3-D version of “Beauty and the Beast” and said she enjoyed viewing it in a different format.

“I got the experience of seeing it in the theater for the first time,” Buckley said. “The 3-D really added something.”

Although she said she enjoys seeing the Disney re-releases, Buckley isn’t opposed to other franchises following suit.

“I’d be curious to see “Star Wars” because it’d be an experience,” Buckley said.

Whether it’s seeing the Titanic sink again, this time in 3-D on the 100 year anniversary of the disaster in April, or watching Belle and the Beast’s famous waltz pop off the screen, 3-D is a trend with staying power.

“3-D is like riding a roller coaster,” Brown said. “People like the spectacle. They want to see something larger than life.”