Tim Burton’s live-action remake scores Disney’s fourth No 1 of the year – and aims to remain airborne into the Easter holiday
The winner: Dumbo
It’s barely a quarter of the way through the year, and Disney has already delivered its fourth UK No 1, as Dumbo follows in the footsteps of Mary Poppins Returns, Glass and Captain Marvel. Tim Burton’s live-action remake of the 1941 animated classic has begun with a solid £6.08m – the second-biggest debut for a release this year, behind Captain Marvel.
It’s a reflection of the expectations heaped on Disney that the Dumbo number might be considered disappointing. After all, the live-action Beauty and the Beast began just over two years ago with £19.7m. And, a year earlier, The Jungle Book swung into action with £9.9m. Still, not all Disney properties are created equal, and Dumbo was never on track to match these numbers. The studio will be hoping for better this year with its remakes of Aladdin and especially The Lion King.
Easter is late this year, and the holiday has yet to begin at most schools. Disney will be hoping for strong and steady play for Dumbo all the way through to Easter Monday. Globally, the film achieved a debut of $119m (£91m).
