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‘The Lion King’ Reigns in U.S. on Preview Night

The remake was king on its opening night, earning $23 million.

by Victoria Rosenthal
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Disney’s reign in theaters continues with the release of The Lion King, which scored $23 million in its preview showings on Thursday. 

Although its earnings fall short of what Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame made during its $60 million preview, the live-action reboot is expected to earn $150 million this weekend. 

However, the film is still far ahead of Disney’s live-action version of Beauty and the Beast, starring Emma Watson and Dan Stevens. This reboot earned $16.3 million on its preview night, while Pixar’s Incredibles 2 earned $18.5 million in its preview. 

The photo-realistic remake, directed by Jon Favreau, features a star-studded cast, including Donald Glover (Simba), Beyonce Knowles (Nala), Chiwetel Ejiofor (Scar), Billy Eichner  (Timon), Seth Rogen (Pumbaa). James Earl Jones returns to voice Mufasa from the original animated version because Disney fanatics would definitely never accept any other actor for the role. 

The movie is one of the most-anticipated releases this year, but critics are already split on their feelings about it, according to Rotten Tomatoes, which gave the movie a 56% rating. 

H/T Variety

Photo: Disney

About the author

Victoria Rosenthal

Victoria Rosenthal

Victoria Rosenthal is an editorial/office assistant at Adventure Publishing Group. She helps the office with its day-to-day needs, whether that's contributing and editing content for the The Toy Book, The Toy Insider, and The Pop Insider, helping manage Adventure Publishing Group's social media accounts, or setting up hundreds of toys! Scouting and testing out awesome new board and card games with friends is Victoria's jam, but hand her a PlayStation controller during a game of Crash Bandicoot, and don’t expect to get a turn. Don't forget to say, “Hello!” when you call the office!

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