Now that Aladdin has marked the beginning of the Mouse summer with an estimated $80-100 million opening, all eyes will be on Disney’s next big reimagining, The Lion King. And already, it’s looking like the company will have another huge hit on their hands.
According to BoxOfficePro, the reimagining of the 1994 animated classic is projected to make between $180-230 million its opening weekend. If this were to come true, The Lion King would surpass the premiere grosses of other Disney remakes Beauty and the Beast ($174.7 million) and Alice In Wonderland ($116.1 million), both of which would go on to surpass $1 billion at the global box office.
But this wouldn’t be the first time the Hamlet-with-animals story achieved financial success. The Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff-directed film ended its run in theaters as the second-highest grossing pic of 1994 – just $17 million behind Best Picture winner Forrest Gump. Adjusted with inflation, the original Lion King made over $680 million, the second highest original run in animated history behind 1937’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, whose profits have translated to over $700 million.
There’s almost no need to discuss the financial feats Disney makes. With every passing film across its several properties (a number that never stops growing, and growing, and growing), the House of Mouse seems to drive another nail into the coffin of its competitors as the most lucrative company in the entertainment industry.
But this is of course the sign of a consistent series of fun-hearted, and well-told stories. And The Lion King, having apparently reduced star Seth Rogen to tears, looks to be the latest in that longstanding cinematic trend.
