The Lion King remake clawed its way to the top of the box office with its release in the US, tearing up multiple other box office records. In addition to releasing in China, the film has now grossed over $531 million over 10 days.
The film has gained the record of 9th biggest opening of all time, beating out Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 for biggest July opening, and a record for highest grossing opening of a PG rated movie, beating out The Incredibles 2, proving that Disney really only has itself to compete with when it comes to making money at the box office.
The new Lion King is a photorealistic reimagining of the 1994 classic of the same name, directed by Iron Man director Jon Favreau and is headed by a star studded cast that includes Beyoncé and Donald Glover. The remake is just one of many triumphs for Disney this year, which now holds 5 of the top 6 spots of the year, the only non Disney movie presenting a challenge being Spiderman: Far From Home.
In addition to the remake’s huge success, Disney has also gained the title of highest grossing movie of all time with Avengers: Endgame taking over Avatar for the number 1 spot. “We’ve had a spectacular run this weekend,” stated Cathleen Taff, Disney’s president of distribution. “We really did know we had something special with [The Lion King] given its popularity with fans of all ages.”
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