Mufasa: The Lion Kingroared to life and sped pastSonic the Hedgehog 3at thebox officeover the Christmas weekend. After finishing in second place behind the Sega sequel last weekend, the latest offering from Disney laid claim to the No. 1 spot over the five-day holiday frame with an estimated $63.7 million domestically. Meanwhile, Keanu Reeves and Jim Carrey’s team-up settled for the silver medal with $59.9 million. However, the results were quite different where the films’ three-day (Friday-Sunday) totals were concerned.
It wasSonic 3($38 million), edging outMufasa($37.1 million) by less than $1 million (perThe Numbers). Focusing onMufasa’simpressive comeback, though, the follow-up toThe Lion Kingbegan its run towards claiming the top spot over the five-day holiday afterMufasasurprisingly won Christmas Day(Wednesday, Dec. 25) against the feisty hedgehog with a take of $14.7 million. The Disney flick also won Thursday and Sunday, whileSonictook the lead on both Friday and Saturday.
The global stage also belonged to the newLion Kinginstallment. At the time of this writing,Mufasahad brought in a total of $113.5 million domestically and an even more impressive $214.5 million overseas for a worldwide take of $328 million. By comparison,Sonic 3($137 million domestic | $74 million international) had only accumulated a total of $211 million around the globe.
‘Nosferatu’ Scares Off ‘A Complete Unknown’
Whilelast weekend’s top film,Sonic 3,battled and lost the No. 1 spot toMufasa: The Lion King,two high-profile newcomers hit theaters, but they weren’t completely lost in the shuffle. Robert Eggers’ creepy reimagining ofNosferatueasily sunk its fangs into the No. 3 spot with a jaw-dropping debut of $40 million over the five-day Christmas frame ($21.2 three-day). With a reported production budget of $50 million,Nosferatuseems almost assured of financial success theatrically.
Now, while the new Timothée Chalamet-led Bob Dylan biopic failed to crack the Top 5,A Complete Unknownstill showed strong at No. 6 with $23 million (five-day) and $11.6 million (three-day). Whether director James Mangold and Chalamet’s collaboration becomes a box office success financially remains to be seen, though. Depending on the source,A Complete Unknown’sproduction budget ran anywhere from $65 million to well over $100 million. It’s also a bit of a disappointment that two titles which opened back in November outperformed the musical drama.
The “spectacular adaptation” of Broadway’sWickedcontinued to defy gravity as the musical extravaganza began its sing-along run to go along with its regular screenings. Director Jon M. Chu’s magical trip to the land of Oz landed the No. 4 spot with approximately $32 million (five-day) and $19.5 million (three-day).Wickedalso surpassedMamma Mia!and became the highest-grossing adaptation of a staged musical with a worldwide total of $634.4 million (perDeadline). AndMoana 2rounded out the Top 5 with $28 million (five-day) and $18.2 million (three-day).
7 Box Office Bombs From 2024 That Became Streaming Hits
Despite their abysmal box office numbers, some of 2024’s biggest flops have found new life on streaming.
Two more new releases, No. 7Babygirl($7 million five-day | $4.4 million three-day) and No. 10The Fire Inside($4.3 million five-day | $2 million three-day), both landed Top 10 finishes. AndThe Brutalistcontinued to boast a staggering per-theater average ($29,002) in limited release, having increased its venues to a total of seven cinemas.
As 2024 gives way to 2025, movie fans can celebrate in theaters with filmmaker Thordur Palsson’s horror mysteryThe Damned. Meanwhile, Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman’smust-see psychological crime thriller,Se7en,celebrates its 30th anniversary with a special IMAX re-release. Both movies open on Jan. 3. Happy New Year!
Mufasa: The Lion King
Mufasa: The Lion King is a prequel to the live-action remake of the original Disney animated film, The Lion King. The film will follow Mufasa in his early days; further plot details are currently under wraps. The film will likely explore Mufasa and Scar’s relationship and how it became as strained as it did. In the film, Timon and Pumba will return, with Billy Eicher and Seth Rogen reprising their roles.
