“The Lion King” and its massive $185 million domestic debut proved that audiences have an insatiable appetite for Disney’s remakes and re-imaginings. Despite mixed reviews, moviegoers turned out in force for director Jon Favreau’s hyper-realistic update of the classic cartoon.
“The Lion King” broke numerous box office records, including the best start among Disney’s live-action reboots. If you liked what it was selling, you’re in luck. The company will continue to dip into its vault, with a “Mulan” update and “Cruella,” an origin story based on the “101 Dalmatians” villain on deck for 2020, along with a revisit of “The Little Mermaid” currently in development. However, it remains to be seen if Disney will ever be able to climb these particular box office heights with a revisit to their past properties.
“They’ve set the benchmark with this ‘Lion King’ remake,” said Paul Dergarabedian, a senior media analyst with Comscore. “It’s going to be really hard to replicate something on this grand of a scale considering how big the original ‘Lion King’ was.”
The studio notes that its “Mulan” trailer amassed over 175 million views, more than any live-action trailer aside from “The Lion King,” indicating interest in Disney’s classics beyond those stemming from the Prides Land.
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