Musical The Lion King has taken more money at the box office than any other stage show, or cinema release.

It has made more than $6.2bn (£3.8bn) in ticket sales alone, not counting merchandise, cast recordings or revenue from the film on which it is based.

And that means it has overtaken The Phantom of the Opera, even though Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical has been seen by twice as many paying punters.

The biggest film release at the box office, Avatar, has made almost $2.8bn.

Featuring music by Sir Elton John, with lyrics written by Sir Tim Rice, The Lion King began on Broadway in 1997.

It was based on a highly successful Disney animation released three years earlier.

So a hit Broadway show does better than a hit movie. Wow. 

I guess Disney is gonna turn more movies into shows.