WEALTH • CINEMA INDEX

The Lion King

The Lion King

🍅52%

Theatrical IntelligencePG-132h 15m

The Lion King Box Office & Budget

Animated • Walt Disney Studios

🍅

52%

Major Theatrical Release

6.4x Production Recoup Multiple

🍿

53%

A+ Audience Draw

Donald Glover Lead Star Synergy

Worldwide Haul$1.7B

Weekend Gross$192M

Production Budget$260M

Breakeven Target$650M

Executive Box Office BriefingTTMI™ MODELDOCUMENTED 2026

Verified Sources: The Numbers, Box Office Mojo, Studio Reports

The Lion King has generated a documented worldwide box office gross of $1663.1 Million against an estimated net production budget of $260.0 Million. Under standard Hollywood theatrical distribution models (2.5× budget recoupment), the breakeven threshold was established at $650.0M, yielding a status of Theatrically Profitable (6.40× gross multiple).

Worldwide Gross

$1.7B

Global Ticket Receipts

Production Budget

$260M

Negative Cost (Excludes P&A)

Break-Even Target

$650M

2.5× Studio Target

Theatrical ROI

6.40×

Theatrically Profitable

Streaming Availability & Theatrical Exclusivity Window

Theatrical-to-Digital Release Timeline

In Theaters Exclusively

Day 21 of 45-Day Theatrical Exclusivity24 Days Remaining

STAGE 01

Theatrical Debut

45-day exclusive theatrical run

Active in Theaters

STAGE 02

Digital PVOD

Apple TV, Prime Video, Fandango

Late 2026

STAGE 03

SVOD Streaming

Walt Disney Studios / Major Streamer

Early 2027

STAGE 04

Physical Media

4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray & Steelbook

Spring 2027

Streaming Home: Walt Disney Studios / Major Streamer

Ensemble Cast & Creative Architects

Billed Talent & Direct Wealth Details & Connections

A-LIST TALENT

Principal Theatrical Cast

Donald Glover

Lead Star

The Lion King Ensemble

Beyoncé

Beyoncé

Principal Cast

The Lion King Ensemble

James Earl Jones

James Earl Jones

Principal Cast

The Lion King Ensemble

Chiwetel Ejiofor

Chiwetel Ejiofor

Principal Cast

The Lion King Ensemble

Seth Rogen

Seth Rogen

Principal Cast

The Lion King Ensemble

Creative Department Heads & Producers

Distributor & Studio

Walt Disney Studios

Major Hollywood Studio

Lead Star Salary & Equity Contract

VERIFIED PAYDAY

Donald Glover

A-List Lead

Net Worth: $25.0 Million

Contract: Principal Cast

Simulate FDG Contract

Theatrical Narrative & Production Overview

After the murder of his father, a young lion prince flees his kingdom only to learn the true meaning of responsibility and bravery.

Ensemble Cast

Donald GloverBeyoncéJames Earl JonesChiwetel EjioforSeth Rogen

Production & Studio Data

Primary StudioWalt Disney Studios

Official Theatrical Release2019-07-19

Theatrical Window Breakeven$650M (2.5x Rule)

Profitability StatusNet Profitable (+$572M)

Data cross-verified with TMDB and Hollywood studio filings.

Theatrical Box Office Showdown

Head-to-Head Theatrical Financial Faceoffs

The Lion King vs. Avatar

The Lion King$1663M

View Full P&L Faceoff

The Lion King vs. Avengers: Endgame

The Lion King$1663M

Avengers: Endgame$2799M

View Full P&L Faceoff

The Lion King vs. Avatar: The Way of Water

The Lion King$1663M

Avatar: The Way of Water$2320M

View Full P&L Faceoff

Related Box Office & Theatrical Comparables

2026 SLATE

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Avengers: Endgame

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Estimated Studio Economics & Capital Waterfall

Modelled Estimate: Theatrical Rental & Ancillary Studio Economics

Simulate in Breakeven Tool ↗

Gross Box Office$1.7B100% Total Gross Receipts

Net Studio Rentals$748MAfter Exhibitor Splits (~45%)

Total Capital Invested$416MBudget + Global P&A

Net Studio Yield+$540M6.4x Gross-to-Budget Ratio

Gross Box Office

1. Worldwide Box Office Inflow

+$1.7B

Total ticket receipts collected across all global theatrical exhibition partners.

Domestic: $748M (45%) • International: $915M (55%)

Domestic (45%)International (55%)

Exhibitor Cut (-)

2. Theater Chain Retention

-$915M

Standard exhibitor retention: ~50% of domestic box office and ~60% of foreign theatrical grosses remain with theater circuits.

Leaves $748M in Net Theatrical Rentals for the studio

Negative Cost (-)

3. Production Budget Amortization

-$260M

Above-the-line talent contracts, physical production shoot, stunts, and CGI visual effects.

Fully amortized physical production, soundstage hire, and talent guarantees

P&A Marketing (-)

4. Global Prints & Advertising

-$156M

Worldwide theatrical distribution and marketing push required to propel the commercial opening.

Global promotional tour, broadcast television spots, and digital media buys

Streaming & Ancillaries (+)

5. Post-Theatrical Ancillary Licensing

+$208M

Long-tail digital windows that typically generate 80–100% of the original production budget in high-margin cashflow.

SVOD Pay-1 streaming licensing, premium digital rentals (PVOD), and physical 4K media

Modelled Studio EconomicsLifetime Window

Net Commercial Profitability Achieved

Factoring theatrical rental receipts and downstream SVOD streaming licensing rights.

Net Profit+$540M

Gross Multiple6.4x

Studio Economics Note: Modelled theatrical and ancillary economics are derived from standard distributor rental splits (~50% domestic, ~40% international) and estimated marketing (P&A) budgets. These figures represent simulated cashflow models, not official confidential studio financial statements.