To say that Disney is dominating the film industry is a gross understatement. Yes, it’s true, as there’s no one with the same number of hit films in 2019 like the Mouse House. But just saying the studio is #1 doesn’t really explain the domination at all. And a perfect way to illustrate this argument is with the new ‘Lion King’ remake.
Released just under a month ago, Disney’s photorealistic “The Lion King” remake has grossed $1.337 billion worldwide. That’s in just four weekends of theatrical release, which is absolutely bonkers. Why is it so shocking? Well, with any other studio, this sort of number would be massive news. But in 2019, “The Lion King” is losing all its box office headlines thanks to “Avengers: Endgame” and how it surpassed “Avatar” atop the all-time box office list. Also, ‘Lion King’ is the fourth billion-grosser in 2019 for the studio.
But when you break down just how incredible ‘Lion King’s’ box office is, not only can you see how ridiculous the numbers are, but also how the film continues to be one of the most controversial films of the year, at least among animation enthusiasts.
Why the controversy? Well, after four weekends, the debate over whether or not “The Lion King” counts as live-action or animation still rages on. Even though Disney will readily tell you that no real locations were used and no real animals were filmed, instead utilizing VR technology and CGI, the studio recent touted that “The Lion King” is “the second Disney-branded live-action release to reach the $1 billion threshold this year and the sixth ever to do so, following ‘Alice in Wonderland,’ ‘Beauty and the Beast,’ and the second and fourth ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ films.” So, Disney says it’s live-action but admits it didn’t film any actual living things. Okay…
And as pointed out by animation folks on social media, media outlets keep referring to “The Lion King” as live-action, as it has now surpassed 2017’s remake of “Beauty and the Beast” as the biggest “live-action” non-Lucasfilm and non-Marvel film of all time for Disney. But then you have other reports saying that it’s actually the biggest animated film of all time, beating “Frozen.” So, basically, any way you look at it, “The Lion King” is a massive hit, and Disney gets to reap the live-action and animated headlines whenever it’s fitting.
This is why so many in the animation realm are upset with the company, as it’s clear that “The Lion King” was animated, though not in the same way the original film was in the ‘90s. Regardless, the film is on the cusp of breaking into the Top 10 of all-time in the week to come. So, it doesn’t look like this argument is going anywhere anytime soon.
FYI, as of July 30, the Walt Disney Company is still misrepresenting The Lion King as a live-action film to the media. pic.twitter.com/srT0L2vzWD
— cartoonbrew.com – Animation News (@cartoonbrew) August 12, 2019
Wow. #NotLiveAction
— John Cohen (@JohnCohen1) August 12, 2019
You’d think @Variety would know the difference between live action and CG animation. Don’t they report about the film business? #comeon https://t.co/KcyykO4rwq
— Tony Bancroft (@pumbaaguy1) August 12, 2019
