"Titanic" to be released in 3D in theaters worldwide

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The acclaimed Hollywood epic "Titanic," will hit movie theaters worldwide in a 3D version next year, Hollywood studios and its director James Cameron said on Thursday.

The commercial and critical success, originally released in 1997, will be re-released on April 6, 2012, in time to mark the 100th anniversary of the doomed passenger liner setting sail from England on April 10, 1912, said Paramount Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox and Lightstorm Entertainment.

"There's a whole generation that's never seen 'Titanic' as it was meant to be seen, on the big screen. And this will be 'Titanic' as you've never seen it before, digitally remastered at 4K (resolution) and painstakingly converted to 3D," Cameron said in a statement issued by the studios and distributors.

The director added: "With the emotional power intact and the images more powerful than ever, this will be an epic experience for fans and newcomers alike."

"Titanic," starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet won 11 Oscars, including best picture and best director for Cameron.

It grossed more than $1.8 billion worldwide and for years held the record as the most successful movie ever, before being overtaken by Cameron's 2009 3D blockbuster "Avatar" that has a lifetime gross of more than $2.7 billion.

(Editing by Jill Serjeant)