It's clear at this point that Disney's Beauty and the Beast is a big hit, delighting audiences across the globe and pulling in more than a billion dollars worldwide, a sizable sum for any movie, but especially a PG-rated one. Here in the States, the movie also hit a different milestone domestically. In fact, we've now learned that Beauty and the Beast is the top grossing PG rated movie of all time... well, at least at this time.
A recent report over at Box Office Mojo indicates that Beauty and the Beast has earned $487,594,615 domestically. This just edges Finding Dory out of the former #1 slot, as that MPAA PG-rated movie brought in $486,295,561 during its initial theatrical run back in 2016. It wasn't crowned for long, though, as the Disney hit has now surpassed the Disney-Pixar movie. If you combine G and PG ratings, the live action Beauty and the Beast is also the highest grossing movie, as well.
In recent years, box office grosses have started getting bigger thanks to more expensive movie tickets. Theaters have worked to make the movie experience more comfortable and fun, sometimes offering full meals and alcohol, as well as comfier seats. The 3D viewing experience has also led to an increase in movie prices, leading big budget movies especially to make more money than they may have in decades past. Still, it's worth noting that the next big PG box office wins come from the likes of Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace, E.T., and Shrek 2--all movies that are more than a decade old. So, it's not just new movies that are earning big box office numbers.
Elsewhere on the MPAA spectrum, the highest grossing G-rated movie domestically is The Lion King, which is also a Disney flick that happens to have a live action version in the works. In the PG-13 range, Star Wars: The Force Awakens is the highest grossing film domestically, making over $936.6 million before even accounting for worldwide sales. The biggest r-rated moneymaker is still The Passion of Christ, although Deadpool did come fairly close to beating the over $370 million record with $363 million in sales. Perhaps Deadpool 2 will fare better? As for X-rated flicks, Showgirls still remains the highest grossing movie of that ilk.
As for Beauty and the Beast, the movie hit theaters back in March and is still enjoying a theatrical run. If you haven't caught the movie yet, be sure to do so, and of course, we'll let you know as soon as Walt Disney Home Entertainment announces a DVD and Digital release. For now, there are a slew of movies coming up and you can take a look with our full schedule.
