Entertainment Movies 'The Lion King' Officially Had the Highest July Opening Weekend Ever with $185 Million The remake marked the highest scoring domestic launch ever for a PG-rated film By Eric Todisco Published on July 22, 2019 08:42 AM Share Tweet Pin Email The Lion King rules all. Over the weekend, Disney’s remake of the iconic 1994 animated film dominated the box office, earning an estimated $185 million at 4,725 theaters in the U.S. and Canada, according to Entertainment Weekly. The remake marked the highest scoring domestic launch ever for a PG-rated film. To add to that success, the Beyoncé-lead film also scored the highest July film opening ever. The Lion King — which also features the voices of Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, Alfre Woodard and Billy Eichner — is expected to continue that success overseas with another $269.4 million between Friday and Sunday. In China, the film has grossed $98 million since its theatrical debut last week, which totals to about $531 million worldwide. Kwaku Alston/Disney Billy Eichner Talks Singing on a Lion King Track with Beyoncé: It’s ‘Bizarre and Insanely Cool Despite the film’s huge financial success, the critical reception has not been as widely favorable, receiving mixed reviews. Rotten Tomatoes‘ critical consensus wrote that the film is a “by-the-numbers retelling that lacks the energy and heart that made the original so beloved.” Disney Lupita Nyong’o Excitedly Reacts to Beyoncé’s Shout-Out on The Lion King: The Gift Soundtrack Trailing The Lion King in terms of box-office numbers this past weekend comes Spider-Man: Far From Home, which earned $21 million between Friday and Sunday, followed by Toy Story 4, which brought home $14.6 million. The Lion King is in theaters now.