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Library/Film/The Lion King (1994)
Grade B21 sourcesHIS-01453

The Lion King (1994)

Film · 1994 · Breakout

81Editable slideCertificate

Disney’s animated film grossed $771 million in its original theatrical release group.

Trailer · Disney Plus on YouTube
Clip · DisneyMusicVEVO on YouTube
The Lion King presented by Disney Movies
Walt Disney Pictures / Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
The Lion King (1994): poster
Wikipedia (non-free, fair use)
The Lion King | Original Trailer | Disney+
Disney Plus on YouTube
THE LION KING, Simba (voice: Jonathan Taylor Thomas), 1994. ©Walt Disney Picture / Courtesy Everett Collection
Variety
Lion King, The - D23
D23 / The Walt Disney Company
"Lion King" still roars in weekend box office
Associated Press / CBS News
Festival of the Lion King stage performance at Disney’s Animal Kingdom; CC BY 2.0 photo by Sam Howzit.
Sam Howzit / CC BY 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Carmen Twillie, Lebo M. - Circle of Life (From "The Lion King")
DisneyMusicVEVO on YouTube

Spread Score

How it works
Reach100Contagion45Breadth80VelocityNo data yetLongevity9281

Numbers

All theatrical releases worldwide, current live tracker
$979.2M
As of Oct 23, 2026 · Box Office Mojo
Peak proxy date
Week of Jun 26, 1994
Jun 15 ’94 to Week of Jun 26, 1994
Platforms
7
Started on Box office
Leverage
22×
$979.2M on $45M budget

Mechanics

  • Platform jumpPrimary
  • Scarcity drop
  • Controversy
  • Pairing
  • Revival

How it spread

Trace the origin

A $40.9M wide weekend followed a two-theater launch. The soundtrack topped Billboard and UPI reported record VHS sales. Broadway, a 3D rerelease and later fan videos carried the film into other settings.

Proxy date; not a directly measured attention peak. Dates use the stated precision; chart positions are date anchors.

Sep ’92Feb ’94JulMar ’95DecMay ’98Aug ’03Oct ’08Jul ’13Aug ’17Mar ’21Jun ’23Box officeRetailPressAudioTVOpen webTikTok
Box officeRetailPressAudioTVOpen webTikTok

13 more events on this chart

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Timeline (16)

  1. November 1993

    Buena Vista Pictures Distribution precursor · Nov 1993

    Disney screened the opening “Circle of Life” sequence as a trailer before The Three Musketeers.[1]

    The Lion King presented by Disney Movies
    Open the first post ↗
  2. March 1994

    Burger King / Mattel / Applause precursor · Mar 29 ’94

    Burger King backed The Lion King as McDonald’s backed The Flintstones in a merchandising rivalry.[2]

  3. June 1994

    Variety / Jeremy Gerard precursor · Jun 13 ’94

    Variety published Jeremy Gerard’s review before the film’s public theatrical opening.[3]

    THE LION KING, Simba (voice: Jonathan Taylor Thomas), 1994. ©Walt Disney Picture / Courtesy Everett Collection
  1. seed · Jun 15 ’94

  2. commercial · Jun 19 ’94

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Why it worked

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Origin
Mixed
Sector
Entertainment
Region
US
All theatrical releases worldwide, current live tracker
$979.2M
As of Oct 23, 2026 · Box Office Mojo
Evidence
Grade B

Spread the same way

Film · Box office · 200974

Avatar (2009)

Twentieth Century Fox (distributor); James Cameron / Lightstorm Entertainment

James Cameron's 3D film earned $2.74 billion worldwide in its original release.

$2.92B box office

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