'The Lion King' is on track to beat Disney's 'Beauty and the Beast' remake at the box office and snag a record

The Lion King 2Disney

  • "The Lion King" earned $23 million in Thursday previews at the domestic box office.
  • That's more than "Beauty and the Beast" made in previews, and the movie went on to make $174 million in its opening.
  • "The Lion King" is eyeing close to a $200 million domestic debut this weekend.
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"The Lion King" is projected to open with huge numbers at the domestic box office this weekend.

The movie, a remake of Disney's 1994 animated classic, earned $23 million in the US in Thursday previews. That's more than the $16.3 million the "Beauty and the Beast" remake made in Thursday previews in 2017.

READ MORE: 'The Lion King' remake is projected to far outpace the original at the box office in its opening weekend, but will face a tougher battle after

"Beauty and the Beast" ultimately made $174 million in its opening weekend. It's the highest-grossing Disney remake yet with $504 million domestically and $1.26 billion worldwide. But "The Lion King" could easily steal the crown.

For comparison, "The Lion King" also beat the previews of last year's "Incredibles 2," which earned $18 million on Thursday and $182 million in its opening weekend. Could "The Lion King" be looking at a $200 million domestic debut?

Box Office Mojo projected it to make $190 million this weekend. Boxoffice.com estimated $185 million, but noted that this summer has been a "roller coaster ride" where "tracking models have encountered a consistent series of challenges."

"The Lion King" has already made $130.5 million internationally, according to Box Office Mojo.

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