When it opened wide, "The Lion King" grossed $40.9 million – which at the time was the fourth biggest opening weekend ever and the highest sum for a Disney film  – to top the weekend box office. In September 1994, Disney pulled the film from movie theaters when its gross was $267 million and announced it would be re-released during Thanksgiving in order to take advantage of the holiday season. Following its re-release, by March 1995, it had grossed $312.9 million, being the highest-grossing 1994 film in the United States and Canada, but was soon surpassed by "Forrest Gump". Box Office Mojo estimates that the film sold over 74 million tickets in the US in its initial theatrical run, equivalent to $812.1 million adjusted for inflation in 2018.