Grossing an estimated $29.3 million in its debut week, the re-release of Disney's classic animated knocks down other newcomers, 'Drive' and 'Straw Dogs'.
- September 19, 2011
AceShowbiz -
A re-release of Disney's 1994's animated hit, "The Lion King 3D", rules the North American box office on its debut weekend. The movie has raked in an estimated $29.3 million, which was far beyond its expected $15 million take.
Back in 1994, the original release of "The Lion King" has earned a stunning $312.9 million in total, making it the highest-grossing animated movie in the history of box office. Simba and friends also added another $15.7 million in an IMAX re-release in 2002. In total, the movie have grossed $357.8 million in U.S. theaters over the last two decades.
Last week's chart-topper "Contagion" dropped to the second place this week. The Steven Soderbergh-directed star-studded thriller added around $14.4 million in its second week for a total of $44.2 million for its domestic cume.
Meanwhile, Ryan Gosling's R-rated action "Drive" was slated on number three in its first week. The newcomer grossed an estimated $11 million, appealing to around 75|percent| of viewers over the age of 25. Despite the strong critical reviews, the Nicolas Winding Refn-directed film only received a C- CinemaScore.
On the fourth place, there was former chart-topper "The Help". The drama has scored an approximately $6.4 million in its sixth weekend, earning $147.4 for its total domestic gross. Rounding up the top five was new release "Straw Dogs" with around $5 million. Receiving a C CinemaScore, the remake attracted mostly male moviegoers with 61|percent| audiences over the age of 25.
Top Ten Movies at Box Office for September 9-11:
