Disney’s ‘The Lion King’ reboot is getting ‘just okay’ reviews, but people are buying tickets left and right to see it.
Earning $185 million since opening on Friday, the film has already beat weekend records for the month of July and PG-rated films.
via NYDN:
“We’ve had a spectacular run this weekend,” said 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.”
Industry experts had pegged “The Lion King” for a $150 million opening, which turned out to be far too modest a projection. Instead, with $185 million, Disney got a few records to boast about: It’s the ninth-biggest opening of all time, a July record (unseating “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2”) and a PG-rating record (taking over from “The Incredibles 2”).
It’s the second time this year a beloved Disney brand has overwhelmed a tepid critical response. “Aladdin,” which is still in the top 10 after nine weeks in theaters, has made $989 million globally.
“Certain brands have so much goodwill and equity,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore. “Reviews clearly didn’t matter at all.”
And, having opened in China a week early, “The Lion King” has amassed over $531 million in just 10 days. Audiences also embraced large format and 3D for the event film: 36% of that total came from 3D showings and $25.2 million from IMAX.
This is just the latest in a long string of wins for Disney, which now holds five of the top six spots for the year. It’s evident even in this weekend’s charts. Five weeks in, “Toy Story 4” is still at No. 3 with an additional $14.6 million (behind “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” which slipped to second in its third weekend with $21 million). The Pixar sequel has grossed $859.4 million globally. “Aladdin” is in 7th place, with $3.8 million.
Have you seen ‘The Lion King’? We’d love to hear your thoughts.
