Disney is projecting massive ticket sales for Beauty and the Beast. The live-action remake has reportedly sold out more than 1,000 screenings in advance of its Friday debut, making it the fastest-selling family film in in the ticket seller’s 17 years in operation, according to managing editor Erik Davis, outpacing even Finding Dory. Indeed, with a predicted box office forecast that’s north of $120 million for opening weekend, Beauty could easily score a larger debut than previous Disney hits Toy Story 3 ($110 million) and Alice in Wonderland ($116 million). If the film outperforms Finding Dory, it would become the new record-holder for the biggest opening weekend of any G or PG–rated movie, ever.
All of this comes despite a brewing backlash to the film’s “exclusively gay moment,” which led to proposed boycotts in Russia and Malaysia and even at a theater here in Alabama. The film has generated strong reviews—including from Slate’s Aisha Harris—and has been tracking positively with moviegoers for months. So far, it appears to have easily weathered the controversy.
