Jon Favreau’s update of The Lion King may be categorized by some under the same banner as the rest of Disney’s live-action remakes of their classic animated titles, but apart from the very first shot of the movie, the entire production was created entirely using visual effects, which would technically classify it as an animated film regardless of how photo-realistic the finished product may look.
The Lion King may have suffered from lukewarm reviews, but the critical reaction has done absolutely nothing to harm the movie’s box office prospects, with Disney’s latest re-purposing of their back catalogue hitting the billion-dollar mark in under three weeks. Not bad, eh?
By comparison, it took Aladdin over two months to reach the ten-figure milestone. Not only that, but The Lion King can now claim another impressive accolade; it’s passed Frozen’s global haul of $1.276 billion to officially become the highest-grossing animated movie in history. Yes, with a box office total that currently sits comfortably over $1.3 billion, The Lion King is now the twelfth biggest film of all-time and will overtake Black Panther for a spot in the top ten in a matter of days.
The combination of a prime summer release date, a hugely marketable title that appeals to virtually every demographic in some form or other and the all-powerful Disney branding have seen the movie outstrip even the loftiest box office projections. And at this rate, there’s every chance that The Lion King could top $1.5 billion by the time its run in theaters comes to an end, especially with summer blockbuster season starting to wind down in the coming weeks.