“Titanic 3D” hits theaters this weekend, offering audiences a second chance (years later) to enjoy this classic while also giving the film an opportunity to entertain a brand new audience. Even people who knew the tragic ending flocked to theaters 15 years ago to find themselves captivated by the romance between Leonardo DiCaprio’s character Jack and Kate Winslet’s Rose. Will the same happen this time around? What exactly will 3D add to the experience of watching the movie? Will the re-release out-perform “The Hunger Games” at the box office?

Certainly the re-release of the Oscar-winning movie is not out of place, both in terms of history and in terms of the rise of digital 3D technology in the film industry. Just looking at the recent success of “The Lion King” in 3D suggests “Titanic” will prove to be a box office success. The commercial incentive plays on people’s intense love of the original and on the chance of capturing a new generation. Nostalgia for this epic will likely drive people to the box office. Enough time has passed since the 1997 original release that the possibility of presenting the story to a new generation exists as well. 3D enables the film to reinvent itself and maintain relevance as the years pass. One of the scenes people are most anticipating is that of the iceberg, and this is probably the most dramatic example of where the 3D may come into play. Director James Cameron admittedly changed only one scene for the re-release, and viewers will likely not even pick up on the change: He adjusted the night sky in the film’s climactic scene to make the position of the stars correct for the exact time (4:20 a.m. on April 15, 1912, that is) of the ship’s sinking. Besides this nearly unrecognizable fix, the rest of the movie is just as audiences remember, only with one more dimension.

Timing-wise, the release of the movie comes on the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the ship. The actual sinking occurred on April 15, 1912. The 3D film’s debut is actually only one of many events throughout the world in its commemoration. An interactive exhibit opening on April 12 at the Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut opens 100 years after the RMS Titanic left Southampton. It will feature a look at Dr. Robert D. Ballard’s search for wreckage (he discovered the remains on Sept. 1, 1985) and various other displays—though Ballard has said that no artifacts from the ship will be included in the exhibit. Other events include a Smithsonian Channel special, “Titanic’s Final Mystery,” on April 5 and an auction of 5,000 items recovered from the ship in Manhattan on April 11. Walking tours of Titanic sites will take place in Belfast, Ireland where the ship was built, and in Manhattan where many of the survivors were taken following their rescue. The most widely accessible event will be a new four-part miniseries detailing the voyage and its passengers, which will debut on April 14 on ABC at 8 p.m. CDT. Take advantage of these many opportunities to unpack the mystique that has surrounded the story of the Titanic.