Beauty and the Beast Box Office: Belle Makes More Money Than Batman

No one’s gloomy or complaining at Walt Disney Studios this weekend – Beauty and the Beast has dominated the box office.

The last petal has fallen and, as expected, Disney’s live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast has destroyed box office records in its opening weekend. The film brought in roughly $170 million domestically, with an additional $180 million worldwide. With that, it becomes the best March film debut ever, knocking out previous record-holder Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (don’t worry, they’re used to being bested by a woman).

Since Disney’s biggest competition is, well…Disney, the studio even bested itself. Beauty and the Beast is officially their most successful live-action remake, beating out 2010’s Alice in Wonderland.

For reference, the original animation was also a top performer in its opening weekend. It went on to become the third highest debut of 1991. Now, the Bill Condon remake is the 7th best domestic opening of all time.

At this point, Emma Watson lives anything but a provincial life. Thanks to Beauty and the Beast‘s success, the 26-year-old is receiving a Harry Potter sized paycheck. Ironically, Beauty‘s performance this weekend just barely topped Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. This is Watson’s best film debut to date, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

In addition to sharing a leading lady, Beauty and the Beast and Deathly Hallows also shared a similar audience: women. Beauty ‘s audience was roughly 60 percent female this weekend. As a book-loving inventor, Belle waltzed all over the best days of Katniss Everdeen (The Hunger Games: Catching Fire brought in $158.1 million in 2014) and Bella Swan (The Twilight Saga: New Moon snagged $142 million in 2009).

Next: Why Beauty and the Beast's Charm Won't Fade

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