# The Lion King (1994)

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

- Owner: Walt Disney Pictures / Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
- Kind: Film
- Sector: Entertainment
- Seed date: 1994-06-15
- Peak proxy date: Week of Jun 26, 1994
- Date basis: Proxy date; not a directly measured attention peak. Dates use the stated precision; chart positions are date anchors.
- Spread Score: 81 (Breakout, provisional), v1.3
- Mechanics: Platform jump, Scarcity drop, Controversy, Pairing, Revival

## Summary

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.

## Timeline

- Nov 1993 — Buena Vista Pictures Distribution (Box office) — Disney screened the opening “Circle of Life” sequence as a trailer before The Three Musketeers.
- 1994-03-29 — Burger King / Mattel / Applause (Retail) — Burger King backed The Lion King as McDonald’s backed The Flintstones in a merchandising rivalry.
- 1994-06-13 — Variety / Jeremy Gerard (Press) — Variety published Jeremy Gerard’s review before the film’s public theatrical opening.

The full timeline, metrics and sources are on the case page, or via the Pro API (https://howitspread.com/developers).

Canonical URL: https://howitspread.com/cases/the-lion-king-1994

Cite as: How It Spread (2026). “The Lion King (1994).” Case HIS-01453. Spread Score v1.3: 81/100. Updated 2026-10-23. https://howitspread.com/id/HIS-01453