NEW YORK — Here’s something the folks at Disney can take real pride in: “The Lion King” is the top ticket of all time.

With a worldwide gross of over $6.2 billion, “The Lion King” stage musical has now achieved the most successful box office total of any work in any media in entertainment history.

Late in the summer, the show quietly took over the top spot from “The Phantom of the Opera,” which has earned $6 billion, according to representatives from both shows. “Phantom” producers Cameron Mackintosh and The Really Useful Group congratulated “The Lion King” in a written statement, calling their rival show “The Pride of Broadway.”

The total makes “The Lion King” more valuable than any single Harry Potter film, the blockbuster movie “Titanic,” or any of the “Star Wars” films. For comparison, the highest-grossing film in history is “Avatar,” which earned $2.8 billion worldwide.

“It’s difficult not to become emotional at this realization of the show’s impact,” said Thomas Schumacher, president and producer at Disney Theatrical Productions. “Our goal (has been) to tell the story purely and theatrically so that audiences could feel it in their heart.”

Currently there are 10 productions of “The Lion King,” including those in New York, London, Hamburg, Germany, and on tour across North America.

There’s no need to cry for “The Phantom of the Opera.” It’s still the longest-running show in Broadway history and 140 million worldwide have seen it. There are currently eight productions, with new ones planned for Moscow, Hong Kong and Istanbul.

— From news service reports


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