Well, it’s official, everything the light touches is Disney’s kingdom and this has been proven ever more asThe Lion Kinglive action remake enters the Top 10 highest grossing movies of all time. After just over a week in theaters, the new and improved adventures of the lion cub, Simba, overtook it’s animated predecessor earning a whopping $1.435 billion. Though it’s cartoon brethren has nothing to be ashamed of, as this year’sThe Lion Kinghas now taken the number 9 spot in the much coveted top 10.
KnockingThe Avengerssecond adventure’s takings of $1.405 billion down a peg, it will take another $80 billion to overtake Furious 7, which currently sits at number 8 at the globalbox office, and of course another billion-plus to beat the current king of the box office,Avengers: Endgame, at number 1. Don’t hold your breath for that one, as it is very doubtful that even the power of Mufasa could muster such a colossal task.
Now, these numbers do not take inflation into account. Adjusting for such,The Lion Kingremake is still technicallybehind the 1994 originalas it grossed $968 million, which converts to approximately $1.676 billion in today’s money.
The majority ofThe Lion King’stakings have come from the international markets, which those making up $939 million, whilst in the US the film has made a still very impressive sum of $496 million.Hakuna matata, indeed.
These huge earnings makeThe Lion Kinganother cherry onDisney’s ever growing cake(or jewel in the crown if you prefer something a little more monarchical) with the studio having already surpassed the record set by a single company in the span of a year. This comes as no surprise asThe Lion Kingremake joins the likes of its fellow live-action remakeAladdin, as well as the trio of MCU outingsCaptain Marvel,Spider-Man: Far From HomeandAvengers: Endgameto join the $1 billion club so far this year. One cannot but help envision the Disney higher-ups leaping into a vat of gold coins Scrooge McDuck style.
Though it may have taken the lion’s share of the world’s money,The Lion Kinghasn’t been what you would describe as critically acclaimed. The film currently holds a paltry 55 on Metacritic and a rotten 52% on review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, with the majority of critics praising the films undeniably incredible visual effects, but saying that as a wholeThe Lion Kingis a by-the-numbers retelling that lacks the heart and creativity of the original.
However, the feeling amongst audiences was not mutual, as the film holds a high score of 88% on the same Rotten Tomatoes, and of course, the huge financial milestone it has now crossed suggests a continuing desire from the public to see these live-action Disney remakes. Long live the king. This news comes from Forbes.
