The Lion King Returns with a Roar

Pumbaa, Timon, Simba in 'The Lion King'
Pumbaa, Timon, Simba in 'The Lion King' - © Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

17 years after audiences first learned what the phase “Hakuna Matata” means, The Lion King proved it’s still a beast at the box office. The 3D release of Walt Disney Pictures’ The Lion King earned $30.2 million, knocking Steven Soderbergh’s star-filled Contagion out of 1st place on its way to becoming the first reissue to top the box office charts in 14 years.
 
Commenting on the film’s success as well as the 5,000 performance of the London stage show, Walt Disney Studios Chairman Rich Ross said, “The Lion King has proven again and again the transcendent power of great stories and characters. From the screen to the stage, this timeless classic continues to touch the hearts of audiences of all ages around the world.”
 
With its re-release, the circle of life story has now made $358.6 million domestically, making it the third highest-grossing animated film of all time and the highest grossing hand-drawn animated film in history. The Lion King can now also claim the second biggest September opening in Disney history and the fifth biggest September opening overall.
 
The Lion King Facts [Courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures]:
 
The Lion King is the top-performing home entertainment release ever.
 
The Lion King is Disney’s best-selling soundtrack. It received Diamond certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (10x platinum). Only four other soundtracks in history have been certified Diamond.
 
The Lion King has won 2 Academy Awards®, 3 Golden Globes®, 6 Tony Awards® and 3 Grammys®, among other accolades, including over 70 major theatrical honors worldwide.
 
–The stage show has been seen by more than 60 million people worldwide, grossing over $4.6 billion in 18 productions across 14 countries, spanning 5 continents and 8 languages. Current productions include Broadway, North American Tour, Las Vegas, London, Hamburg, Tokyo and Singapore.
 
The Lion King opened on Broadway in 1997 and in January 2011 became its seventh longest-running show ever.
 
Source: Walt Disney Studios