Lion King musical set to become most successful Broadway show of all time

The musical is on track to reach $1bn in ticket sales by the end of the month

The Lion King is on track to become the first Broadway show to make $1bn (Getty Images)

Simba could not wait to be crowned king, and now he reigns supreme over Broadway.

The Lion King musical is on course to become Broadway’s most successful show of all time, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The Disney show looks set to become the first musical to reach $1 billion (£623m) in takings by the end of the month, if ticket sales remain at the same rate.

The musical has made more than $997 million (£620m) from its New York shows so far this month, 16 years since it first previewed on 15 October 1997.

In addition, the Disney film-turned-stage show is due to pass Les Miserables as the fifth longest-running show of all time on Broadway.

The Tony award-winning musical, which transferred to London’s West End in 1999, has made $5 billion (£3.1bn) across 21 global productions including shows in Japan, Australia, South Africa, Singapore and Brazil.

The family-friendly musical, which features Disney classics such as “Circle of life” and “I just can’t wait to be king,” often plays to standing-only audiences on Broadway.

Thomas Schumacher, Disney Theatrical Group president, said: “This humbling milestone is a testament to the vision and artistry of [director] Julie Taymor.”