‘The Lion King’ Passes ‘Frozen’ as Highest-Grossing Animated Movie of All Time

The Lion King remake has officially passed Frozen as the highest-grossing animated movie of all time. According to io9’s Gizmodo, The Lion King has a current global gross of over $1.3 billion, which beats Frozen when not adjusting for inflation. Notably, the outlet adds that The Lion King remake was much more successful at the global box office as opposed to the domestic box office, earning nearly double what it made in the United States. With Frozen now landing at number two on the list, the rest of the films placing in the top five are as follows: Incredibles 2 comes in third, Minions places fourth, and Toy Story 3 lands in the fifth spot.

Interestingly, the while the updated Lion King film has certainly been striking a chord with audiences, critics have not quite been as welcoming of it. It currently holds a 52 percent critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which is glaring when compared to the original 1994 Lion King’s 93 percent rating.

“While it can take pride in its visual achievements, The Lion King is a by-the-numbers retelling that lacks the energy and heart that made the original so beloved–though for some fans that may just be enough,” reads the Critics Consensus of the film.

“Despite the superstar talent of the cast and the stunning presentation, it misses some of the heart that placed the original securely in the pop culture canon,” Salon.com critic Ashlie D. Stevens said of The Lion King.

“Rarely has brand recognition soared to such fetishistic heights, and I regret to inform you that, aside from the updating of the vocal cast, the most blatant discrepancy between the old and the new is a very slight increase in the comedy of flatulence,” the New Yorker’s Anthony Lane wrote.

However, not everyone has been critical of the film, at it holds an 88 percent Fresh audience score, with one fan saying, “I loved this movie, but of course not as much as the original. It has it’s slow moments, but for the most part, it’s just like the movie.”

“There were some key changes that I didn’t really like, but overall I loved it. Definitely going to add it to my collection, when it become available,” another fan added.

The Lion King is still playing in some theaters nationwide. Check your local listings for showtimes.

Photo Credit: Disney