Whether you’re roaring with approval at the re-release or plunged into shadowlands at the thought of a 3D conversion, there’s no arguing with the figures. On it’s opening weekend in the US, The Lion King 3D has made a whopping $30 million, silencing the naysayers and proving once and for all that kings really don’t need advice from little hornbills (for a start).

And for better or for worse, it’s definitely the addition of 3D that has got audiences going back. If you recall, our favourite jungle pals got a brief IMAX re-release in 2002, but the endeavour only raked in a meagre $15 million in total. Add in the possibility of wildebeest ALL UP IN YOUR FACE, and suddenly people begin stampeding towards their local cinema. There’s no arguing with the resonance of the tale, and there’s certainly no harm in introducing a new generation of kids to it, but the triumph at the box-office has to be more than a little to do with the beefed up 3D ticket prices…

Simba et al will be hitting our screens on the 7th October. Will you be going?