Despite being released in 1994, Disney's original best Disney movies of all time. The Lion King made a huge splash when it was released, and it continues to be enjoyed today.

With a confirmed release date for Mufasa: The Lion King, the prequel to the rebooted version of the franchise is set to expand the saga like never before. Although the 1994 movie did have sequels, none of them came anywhere near the success of the first movie. In fact, the original's triumph remains one of the studio's biggest achievements to this day, thanks to an interesting record held by the animated film.

The Original Lion King Is The Highest-Grossing 2D Animated Movie

The 1994 animated classic is still holding its own

Even three decades later, 1994's The Lion King is still the movie with the highest box office revenue that was animated traditionally (via The Numbers). Looking at a ranking of the most profitable animated movies of all time, The Lion King is unbeaten when it comes to 2D animation. There have been countless movies animated this way since The Lion King's release, making it all the more impressive that it still hasn't been sured.

2019's The Lion King doesn't take the 2D record away from its predecessor because it relies on CGI. However, with Box Office Mojo reporting the 2019 version as taking over $1.6B, the remake is in second place overall on the list.

Interestingly, 2019's remake also makes the list - despite being marketed as live-action. There's a simple reason for this: it isn't actually live-action. The remake has been made to very closely imitate a realistic aesthetic, but it has required heavy use of animation to do so. Therefore, while it's far above the original in the animated movie box office rankings, 2019's The Lion King doesn't take the 2D record away from its predecessor because it relies on CGI. However, with Box Office Mojo reporting the 2019 version as taking over $1.6B, the remake is in second place overall on the list.

The Majority Of The Highest-Grossing Animated Movies Are CGI

The Lion King has done well to hold its place in the list

Although animated movies are still as popular as they ever were - if not even more so - the medium used to create these worlds has changed a lot since 1994. Although some of The Lion King's contemporaries, like 1992's Aladdin and 1995's Pocahontas, do rank in the top 100 highest-grossing animated movies, none of them make it into the top 50. In fact, The Lion King itself falls just outside the top 10, despite raking in over $988M.

Going forward, it's tough to see CGI movies slowing down, so it's likely that all the 2D movies will eventually be bumped even further down the rankings.

The most modern 2D animated movie on the list is 2007's The Simpsons Movie. Despite the long wait for a feature-length production of the legendary Matt Groening show, and how well it was received, it still can't compete with the list's CGI entries. It falls just outside the top 50 movies, with the entries above and below it a mix of projects that preceded and followed it. Going forward, it's tough to see CGI movies slowing down, so it's likely that all the 2D movies will eventually be bumped even further down the rankings.

Will Another 2D Animated Movie Ever Beat The Lion King’s Record?

2D animated movies don't tend to get the same amount of attention anymore

While 2D animated movies are still being made today, it's very rare for them to get a theatrical release anymore. One of the few exceptions to this rule is anime movies - especially anything from Studio Ghibli. General tastes have shifted toward CGI movies that are either from established franchises, or else at least from a proven studio like Pixar, Dreamworks, Illumination, or even Disney. 2D animated movies are now far more likely to land directly on streaming platforms instead of enjoying a traditional run in cinemas, which means they stand almost no chance of taking The Lion King's title.

What's far more likely is that the animated movie rankings will one day be completely devoid of any 2D entries. Given the art form's legacy and its impact on filmmaking through the decades, this is a pretty grim thing to consider, but it's certainly possible given the current direction of things. Then again, this could mean that The Lion King lasting this long and still being so high on the list is a sign that it will continue to hang on the title of highest-grossing 2D animated movie indefinitely - especially with no real challengers.

Source: The Numbers, Box Office Mojo