We've just received word that Disney's release of The Little Mermaid 3D has been delayed indefinitely. It was originally expected to open in theaters on September 13, 2013, but reports are that the recent releases of Beauty and the Beast 3D, Finding Nemo 3D, and Monsters, Inc. 3D did not meet expectations to justify the 3D conversion of Ariel's world.

This, along with the recent news that Disney has suspended work on 3D releases of the remaining Star Wars prequels, leads us to believe that they are mustering all their resources for the release of Star Wars: Episode VII, which is currently scheduled for release in 2015.

This news does raise the question of whether this is merely the result of the realization that even a huge company like Disney has finite resources and must apply them judiciously, or does it indicate that 3D has lost some of its novel shine and now has to justify its existence?