Disney’s “Lion King 3-D” strives for North American box office throne. After fetching 29.3 million U.S. dollars at last weekend, which registered only 12.5 million dollars on opening weekend, Disney extended the film’s release to 2,340 theaters.

If you’ve been watching the headlines, it would appear that the Lion King 3-D is about to become its own sovereign nation, if not a province. We can only hope that Canada will approve, perhaps wedging them in next to Quebec.

It’s a fact of culture: some Hollywood movies make zillions of dollars. The more they make, the happier everyone seems. The studio that produced the film is rolling in cash, the director and producers are buying new islands, and the stars of the film are getting royalties and new offers for bigger projects and TV shows. Legend has it that Simba gets a flat three percent, was well as a chance at hosting The Tonight Show when Jay Leno retires for the second time. Even people who paid to see the movie are happy, because they know that their ticket money is going toward a good cause, namely, getting rid of Jay Leno*.

If the Lion King 3-D makes another 20 or so million this weekend, that’s pushing 50 million dollars. But how much is too much? Let’s pause to consider, Lion King aside, how much money Disney has made. According to my research, Disney has made $812,291,514,124,011,249,293,3.14,867,5309 and 11. I don’t know why the “and 11”, except that it might have something to do with having to switch to the metric dollar system. I should also point out that this number might actually be the national deficit.

I ask the question again: how much is too much? Yes, capitalism at work means making money and people also at work. I get that. But what if we applied biblical principals to the situation and said “okay, Disney, for every 10 movies you make, give 1 movie’s profits to build 400 homeless shelters.” What if? I know that Disney gives money away, and I would suppose that they are generous in their giving to charity. But what if we all knew that Lion King 3-D was movie #10 in their lineup, so that means that it goes toward something beyond us? I bet it would “make” even more money.

I wish it was that way. Since it’s not, I guess it’s up to you and me to make a difference.

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(footnotes)
*Of course I say this jokingly, but it would be wrong of me to hide the fact that I’m with Team Coco.