Lion King set to hit $1bn at global box office

The Disney remake is close to joining Avengers: Endgame, Captain Marvel and Aladdin in the exclusive billion-dollar club

The Lion King is close to pulling in $1 billion at the international box office following huge success in its second weekend.

Disney’s remake, directed by Jon Favreau, is already the fifth-biggest global cinematic release of the year just two weeks after its release, with $963m to date.

It added a total of $218.3m worldwide over its second weekend.

Starring Beyoncé, Donald Glover and Seth Rogen, the blockbuster is close to joining Avengers: Endgame, Captain Marvel, Spider-Man: Far From Home and Aladdin in the small list of films to hit $1bn.

Disney has beaten its own 2016 global earnings record, with its output exceeding $7.67bn far in 2019 and the studio’s Frozen sequel and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker still to come.

The Lion King is in cinemas now.