A 3D version of the animated favorite pulled in $22.1 million over the weekend.
Brad Pitt's baseball drama "Moneyball" debuted in the No. 2 spot with $20.6 million.
Warner Bros. family film "Dolphin Tale" was a close third with $20.3 million.
"Abduction" opened at No .4 with $11.2 million and action thriller, "Killer Elite," debuted at No. 5 with $9.5 million.
The reissue of "The Lion King" has taken in $61.7 million since opening the previous weekend to a much bigger audience than expected. That's on top of nearly $800 million worldwide the movie made in its original run and a 2002 re-release.
The film has done so well that Disney plans to leave it in theaters longer than the two-week run the studio initially planned as a prelude to its Blu-ray home-video debut Oct. 4, said Disney distribution officials.
The top 10 films of the weekend were:
1. "The Lion King," $22.1 million ($1.9 million international).
2. "Moneyball," $20.6 million.
3. "Dolphin Tale," $20.3 million.
4. "Abduction," $11.2 million.
5. "Killer Elite," $9.5 million.
6. "Contagion," $8.6 million.
7. "Drive," $5.8 million.
8. "The Help," $4.4 million ($1.1 million international).
9. "Straw Dogs," $2.1 million.
10. "I Don't Know How She Does It," $2.05 million.
Disney is the parent company of ABC7. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
