Bieber Gets a Re-Release...On Friday?!

Lost amidst the planet-shattering news that Justin Bieber got a haircut this week is this WTF move by Paramount:  Justin Bieber: Never Say Never 3D is getting a special director's cut.  Now, that part isn't weird.  Surely there was plenty of Bieber goodness left over for a special-edition DVD.  But here's the head-scratching part:  the extended cut of the film is opening in theaters on Friday.

To bring those of you who've been kindly ignoring the existence of this film up to speed, this will be only two weeks since the original cut of Never Say Never opened in theaters.  It's grossed $52 million at the box office so far, which is already more than double what the Jonas Brothers' concert movie did in 2009, and it's likely to pass the $65 million Hannah Montana made in 2008.  So why re-release it so soon, aside from the obvious cash-grab?

According to Entertainment Weekly, 22 minutes have been dropped from the first release, and 40 minutes of new footage has been added in.  Director John M. Chu turned to Bieber's Twitter fanbase to see what fans wanted to see more of - namely, more of Chaz and Ryan (I have no idea who these people are), more baby Bieber footage, more pranks, more music, etc.  It also sounds like there's enough left over for an even longer director's cut when this thing finally hits DVD.

Frankly, I feel sorry for the parents of tween Bieber fans who are going to have to sit through this thing again.  Not because of the music, or even Bieber himself.  The kid's overexposure is definitely on my last nerve, but he's harmless enough and I'm sure I would have been crazy for him if I was 11.  But 3D movie tickets are expensive enough,  and I'm sure parents who made an event out of taking their kids to see the movie the first time around are less than thrilled about possibly having to do it again, especially when they could have just as easily have put this on the DVD. 

But it will be back (it never left!) in theaters on Friday.