‘Beauty and the Beast’ Reaches 1 Billion at Worldwide Box Office
Beauty and the Beast has officially topped the $1 billion mark at the box office, making it the most financially successful live-action movie musical of all time.
And that’s just one of numerous box-office honors the tale as old as time can now claim. Beauty and the Beast’s $435 million domestic total makes it the current highest-grossing film of 2017, but it will face some stiff competition from upcoming near-certain blockbusters like The Fate of the Furious, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Justice League and an obscure little flick called Star Wars: The Last Jedi in December.
Let’s also keep in mind that Beauty and the Beast is far from done. It was number two in ticket sales this past weekend, and any studio would be delighted with a $23 million take over a film’s fourth weekend of release. The $500 million mark is within sight, though might be tough with screens about to get a lot more crowded.
Regardless of whether Beauty ends up on top at the end of the year, the film is clearly a staggering success already. It’s the highest-grossing live-action fantasy, topping all Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings installments. It’s miles ahead of Grease in the broader musical genre (though if you account for inflation, Grease’s $665 million adjusted tally leaps way back in front).
At the moment, it sits at number 14 on the all-time domestic chart, with a top 10 finish all but certain. Worldwide it’s ranked 29th, and it has a pretty clear path to a top 20 spot. Not too bad for a movie some prominent people said was a bad idea.