A 3-D version of the animated Disney favorite earned a surprising $29.3 million in its first weekend in theaters.
The original film made more than $40 million when it opened nationwide 17 years ago.
Last week's No. 1 movie, Steven Soderbergh's "Contagion," dropped a spot in its second weekend. The Warner Bros. viral thriller made about $14.5 million for a total of $44.2 million.
Among the other new releases, the critical darling "Drive" came in at No. 3 with just over $11 million. Ryan Gosling stars as a stoic wheelman in the retro action picture from FilmDistrict.
The top 10 films of the weekend were:
1. "The Lion King 3D," $29.3 million. ($700,000
international.)
2. "Contagion," $14.5 million. ($1.3 million international.)
3. "Drive," $11 million.
4. "The Help," $6.4 million. ($1.1 million international.)
5. "Straw Dogs," $5 million.
6. "I Don't Know How She Does It," $4.5 million. ($800,000
international.)
7. "The Debt," $2.9 million. ($1 million international.)
8. "Warrior," $2.8 million. ($400,000 international.)
9. "Rise of the Planet of the Apes," $2.6 million.
10. "Colombiana," $2.3 million.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
