Aladdin passes $1 BillionAladdin passes the $1B mark worldwide to become the biggest film of Will Smith's entire career: 'Thank you, everybody around the world'The Genie is cashing quite a big check this weekOn Thursday, Disney's live-action 'reimagining' Aladdin crossed the $1 billion mark at the global box office, making it the biggest film in the careers of everyone involved—including those of genie Will Smith and director Guy Ritchie.
The blockbuster was initially released on Memorial Day and crossed $1 billion after finishing Thursday with a North American total of $343.1M and $656.2M overseas, writes The Hollywood Reporter, which totals globally at $999.3M.
Snap your fingers for the cash: On Thursday, Disney's live-action 'reimagining' Aladdin crossed the $1 billion mark at the global box office, making it the biggest film in the careers of Will Smith and Mena Massoud
Aladdin, which updates the 1992 animated classic with a live-action story starring Mena Massoud as Aladdin and Naomi Scott as Princess Jasmine, is already the third Disney release this year to join the billion dollar club, after Avengers: Endgame (which is also now the highest-grossing film of all time) and Captain Marvel.
Disney first enjoyed incredible success with its live-action remakes with 2017's Beauty and the Beast, which also grossed over one billion dollars.
The dominating studio isn't slowing down with the trend, either: since Aladdin was released this spring, Disney has already unleashed The Lion King remake last week, which is currently the number one movie in the country and charting to perform even better than Beauty.
Earlier this month, Smith, 50, thanked his fans in a heartfelt and multi-lingual Instagram post for making Aladdin the highest grossing film of his career.
Will Smith makes surprise appearance during Aladdin screening
Obrigado: Earlier this month Smith thanked his fans in a heartfelt and multi-lingual Instagram post for making Aladdin the highest grossing film of his career
'To be in this game as long as I’ve been in this game, and to have my biggest movie at this point in my career, I just want to say thank you,' Smith said.
He then proceeded to say 'thank you' again, but in over a dozen different languages, finishing with, 'Thank you, everybody around the world!'
Smith has been a highly bankable star since the mid-Nineties, when he made back-to-back blockbusters Independence Day and Men In Black in 1996 and '97, respectively.
Massoud, 27, also took to Instagram to share the good news about Aladdin, saying that he’d predicted the film would pass the $1 billion even when no one believed him.
'I told people six months ago that I thought Aladdin would hit a billion,' Massoud said in the video, posted on Friday.
'I got laughed at quite a bit, I got dismissed but I believed in what we were showing people and the heart and soul that we put into the film and what the film represents,' he continued. 'Representation, diversity, identity. I’m really glad to say that we’re officially the most ethnically diverse cast to ever lead a film to the billion-dollar club.'
Aladdin cast 'never had a friend' like Will Smith at KCA's
Sharing the good fortune: Massoud, 27, also took to Instagram to post the good news about Aladdin
While both Aladdin and The Lion King remakes are still in theaters, Disney is hard at work churning out other updates based on its animated oeuvre—casting news has already begun trickling in for the live-action remake of The Little Mermaid, and trailers have already dropped for Mulan, which is set for release next year.
If that weren't enough, there are also live-action origin stories in the works for Tinkerbell (with Reese Witherspoon), Cruella De Vil (with Emma Stone) as well as an upcoming sequel to Angelina Jolie's successful live-action take on Disney's Sleeping Beauty villainess, Maleficent.
Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil comes out on October 18th.
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