"live-action" The Lion King comes five years after the remake of the beloved animated movie shattered box office projections. The 2019 movie overcame negative reviews to be one of the biggest box office hits of the year, grossing over $1.6 billion. That signaled Disney to look for ways to continue the franchise, bringing audiences Barry Jenkins' Mufasa and Scar-focused prequel.

The Lion King franchise has always been a huge draw for audiences at the box office. The original 1994 animated movie made $771 million, not adjusted for inflation, during its original release, but its total now stands at $981 million thanks to multiple re-releases over the years making it Disney's highest-grossing 2D movie. The over $1 billion average of the animated and live-action film's box office hauls puts more pressure on Mufasa to be a big hit. While its unclear exactly how mighty the latest franchise entry will be with audiences, it should help the franchise cross a significant milestone.

The Lion King Is $356 Million Away From Becoming A $3 Billion Franchise At The Box Office

The Franchise Has Made Well Over $2 Billion Worldwide

Heading into Mufasa: The Lion King, the overall The Lion King franchise has a box office total fit for the king of the jungle. The franchise has made over $2.6 billion at the box office by combining the earnings of 1994's animated film and 2019's live-action remake. To be more specific, the original film made $981,708,285, and the reimagining accumulated $1,662,020,819. That brings The Lion King franchise's box office to $2,643,729,104 - which puts it only $356 million away from suring the $3 billion mark.

The Lion King is one of the highest grossing animated movie franchises

Becoming a $3 billion franchise at the box office is a fairly big deal for The Lion King. There are several sprawling franchises that have sured this total throughout history, but doing so with only three films would be quite impressive. That's something not even Star Wars, Harry Potter, Transformers, Despicable Me, or the Marvel Cinematic Universe could do. In fact, The Lion King is only the second movie franchise to hit $3 billion with three films or fewer - as James Cameron's sci-fi series Avatar did in two.

Will Mufasa: The Lion King's Box Office Make Enough To Achieve This Milestone?

Lion King's 2024 Movie Should Do Well Enough At The Box Office

Mufasa: The Lion King is left in a position where it does not have to worry about matching 2019's live-action movie's box office haul to help the franchise cross $3 billion worldwide. The $356 million needed means Mufasa only has to make a little more than 20% of The Lion King's box office for the franchise to move into this new tier. There is a reasonable expectation that Mufasa will not come close to its predecessor's $1.6 billion haul, so a decrease in earnings is coming. But dropping by 80% is not likely unless it copies Joker: Folie à Deux.

The early signs are positive for Mufasa: The Lion King's box office when it comes to making at least $356 million worldwide. Box Office Pro's long-range projections for its opening weekend put it at $55M-$85M. The movie is likely to be a big hit with families over the Christmas holiday season and could only pick up momentum as the release draws closer. Add in the love that other countries have for The Lion King and Mufasa: The Lion King seemingly should have little issue making it past the benchmark. Whether it becomes a hit overall is another story.