Did you head to the movie theater to see The Lion King in 3D this weekend? If you did, you certainly weren’t alone, as Disney announced that the film took in roughly $29.3 million at the box office domestically this weekend. This put the film at the #1 spot at the weekend box office, beating such films as Contagion, Drive, Straw Dogs, and I Don’t Know How She Does It.
The film ended up performing twice as well as originally estimated, with Disney initially predicting the film to take in about $15 million. But audiences turned out in droves to watch the Circle of Life on the big screen once again, showing the lasting power of the classic Disney film almost 20 years after its original release.
“To take a page out of the movie, I think it boils down to the circle of life,” Dave Hollis, the studio’s executive vice president of distribution, said of the picture’s opening. “Those who saw the film as a child now have the chance to share what was meaningful and special to them with their own children. To have something that meaningful has provided a great opportunity for our exhibition partners during a softer time of year when they need to satisfy the need for a family film.”
The film will run for only one more week in theaters, so be sure to see this classic story come to life on the big screen while you can. Following the film’s theatrical release, The Lion King will be released on Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D on October 4.
