Box Office: ‘Mufasa’ Wins With $23.8M, ‘Sonic 3’ Sits at No. 2 as Franchise Crosses $1B Globally

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Following a tight competition during the initial holiday week against Paramount’s Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King managed to gain an edge and emerged victorious in the first weekend of the new year. It earned a domestic total of $23.8 million, pushing its domestic total to $168.6 million. Internationally, it surpassed the $300 million mark, wrapping up Sunday with a worldwide total of $476.4 million.

In the second spot this past weekend, Sonic 3 didn’t disappoint with a gross of $21.2 million and a domestic total of $187.5 million. Moreover, on Sunday, Paramount revealed that the blockbuster film series, derived from the Sega video game, has surpassed the global milestone of selling $1 billion worth of tickets. The third installment has been well-received by audiences since it brought Keanu Reeves into its star-filled ensemble, with Jim Carrey at the helm.

In its second weekend, the holiday vampire movie by Robert Eggers and Focus Features titled “Nosferatu” earned $13.2 million domestically, bringing its total to a satisfying $69.4 million. On Christmas Day, it joined other films premiering nationwide; “Sonic 3” and “Mufasa” had already started their third weekends.

The film titled Nosferatu surpassed expectations significantly and presented one of the most impressive debuts for a horror movie released during Christmas. This male-oriented production features Lily-Rose Depp, Nicholas Hoult, and Bill Skarsgard in leading roles.

In its sixth week, Disney’s blockbuster movie “Moana 2” secured the fourth position at the domestic box office with earnings of $12.4 million. With this success, it is on track to become part of the exclusive billion-dollar club worldwide. Domestically, the animated film has grossed a total of $425.2 million, while internationally it has earned an impressive $553.3 million, bringing its global total to $960.5 million as of Sunday.

The Universal Pictures’ Golden Globe-nominated movie “Wicked” earned an additional $10.2 million, bringing its domestic total to a whopping $450.7 million and securing its place among the top five highest-grossing films domestically.

searchlight pictures, a division of Disney specializing in unique films, is also experiencing success. Timothée Chalamet’s critically praised movie, A Complete Unknown, another contender for the Globes best picture award, has continued to surpass expectations since its release on December 25th. It ranked sixth for the weekend with a total of $8.1 million, bringing its domestic earnings up to $41.7 million. The film has received an exceptional A rating from audiences (so far, the movie appears to be popular among women and older viewers), and it marks Searchlight’s highest-grossing film since Disney’s acquisition.

In its second weekend, the critically acclaimed film “Babygirl,” featuring Nicole Kidman and distributed by A24, grossed an estimated $4.5 million, bringing its domestic total to $16.1 million. Kidman is contending for a Best Acting Globe award. Meanwhile, another A24 production, the Globe-nominated “The Brutalist” with Adrien Brody in the lead role, opted for a traditional platform release instead of a nationwide one. In its second week, it increased its screenings to eight locations and has already made $1.2 million.

More to come.

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2025-01-05 19:25