Why Lion King’s opening in China tops Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast

The Lion King, which opened in China a full week ahead of its North American release, pulled in US$54.7 million from Friday to Sunday. That’s nearly three times better than the opening of Aladdin seven weeks earlier and US$10 million more than 2017’s Beauty and the Beast.

The original Aladdin in 1992 and Beauty and the Beast in 1991 might be equally memorable to Western viewers. But in China, Lion King was the first imported animated blockbuster to be shown on the big screen. It didn’t matter that the film only arrived in 1995, a year after it premiered in other markets. The Disney classic made a deep impression on Chinese families at a time when most animations weren’t considered serious enough to warrant a theatrical release.

“This was the first ever animated film I watched,” said one Weibo user. “I was two when the movie was released. It kept being replayed on the VCD player, a new invention at that time, in my living room. I still remember the first time I heard Circle of Life.” 

“Dragged my mom to see Lion King yesterday,” wrote another Weibo user. “We had a Lion King VCD at home when I was small. We played it every time I threw a tantrum. Mom was complaining how I still want to watch [the remake] after watching the film hundreds of times as a kid.”