Despite Boycotts, ‘Beauty and the Beast’ Garners $350M Opening Weekend
Disney’s Beauty and the Beast is a global box office sensation. The fairy tale remake debuted to a majestic $350 million worldwide during its first weekend in theaters.
The live-action update of the 1991 animated classic scored the second biggest March debut on a global basis, coming in behind Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice‘s $424.1 million launch.
Beauty and the Beast earned $180 million internationally and an additional $170 million at the domestic box office, a sterling result for the $160 million-budgeted film. In a sign of its popularity, Beauty and the Beast topped the box office in nearly every market where it screened. The fairy-tale romance earned $44.8 million in China, grossed $22.8 million in the United Kingdom, grabbed $11.9 million in South Korea, nabbed $10.7 million in Germany and picked up $7.6 million in Italy. Beauty and the Beast even performed well in Russia, where its opening was overshadowed by controversy surrounding the inclusion of a gay character. Russian authorities gave the film a higher rating to limit younger audience’s access. Russia has a number of anti-LGBT laws in place.
It played in 44 major international locations, representing 66% of the international market. The film has yet to open in France, Australia and Japan. {eoa}
