Mufasa: The Lion King Roars Past Sonic The Hedgehog 3 At The Weekend Box Office While Nosferatu Crosses A Major Milestone

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Over the past few weeks, movie trackers have been observing an intriguing competition. In late December 2024, Jeff Fowler’s “Sonic The Hedgehog 3” and Barry Jenkins’ “Mufasa: The Lion King” were released simultaneously, with Sonic starting strong but Mufasa showing remarkable persistence, much like the tortoise in a fable. Initially, the video game adaptation sequel dominated at the box office in the first two matches, but the animated prequel has been gaining momentum and recently seized its first domestic lead over the last three days.

With no fresh arrivals to shake up the Top 10, this weekend’s chart showcases a rearrangement of titles from late 2024. Specifically, Mufasa: The Lion King has moved into the top position. For the complete rundown and subsequent discussion, please see below.

Mufasa: The Lion King And Sonic The Hedgehog 3 Switch Spots As Both Winter Blockbusters Continue The Show Long Legs

It’s important to note that Mufasa: The Lion King didn’t entirely outshine Sonic The Hedgehog 3 during their third weekend competition, as per initial box office data from The Numbers. Interestingly, the difference in ticket sales between these two films was minimal, amounting to approximately $2.6 million. However, it’s worth mentioning that Mufasa: The Lion King now holds the title of being the first number one release in the United States and Canada for the year 2025.

Mufasa: The Lion King, despite not matching the success of its pre-pandemic counterpart (Jon Favreau’s remake of The Lion King earned $191.8 million in its domestic opening weekend and grossed $1.7 billion globally), is holding up fairly well given the current market conditions, especially considering its rocky start. Unlike the previous week, where the prequel actually earned more over three days than it did during its initial box office run, ticket sales have decreased, but only by 35 percent.

With an additional $23.8 million boosting its earnings, the movie has now matched Ridley Scott’s Gladiator 2 on the 2024 domestic box office charts, both films being almost equal with $168.6 million and $2.7 million respectively since their releases. They are closely competing for the fourteenth position, and if current trends continue, they may overtake Wes Ball’s Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes, which made $171.1 million before its summer run ended.

It’s worth mentioning that the Barry Jenkins Disney film is doing exceptionally well internationally, much like its counterpart from 2019. Interestingly, “Mufasa: The Lion King” has earned nearly twice as much in foreign markets compared to domestic earnings, surpassing $307 million in ticket sales. This brings the global total to a staggering $476.4 million, placing it among the top 10 highest-grossing films of 2024, bumping Kelly Marcel’s “Venom: The Last Dance” off the list with its earnings of $475 million.

It’s evident that “Sonic The Hedgehog 3” is losing pace more quickly than “Mufasa: The Lion King” in domestic box office sales (due to both films catering to similar audiences), but the sequel featuring Ben Schwartz and Jim Carrey is still performing admirably. In its latest three-day run, it generated $21.2 million, which is only a 43% decrease from the previous weekend – slightly higher than the 38% drop experienced last time. Moreover, it continues to outperform its domestic rivals, having earned $187.5 million within 17 days of its release.

It’s important to mention that the financial performance of Sonic The Hedgehog 3 compared to its predecessors, particularly Mufasa: The Lion King, is more favorable. Due to its release in late December, Sonic The Hedgehog 3 has outperformed both Jeff Fowler’s previous titles in the series over a longer period. Although it started with slightly lower domestic opening weekend earnings ($60.1 million compared to $58 million for the first movie in early 2020 and $72.1 million for the sequel in spring 2022), it has been performing significantly better overall. Within a few days, if not tomorrow, Sonic The Hedgehog 3 is expected to become the highest-grossing film in the franchise in the United States and Canada.

Globally, “Sonic The Hedgehog 3” has surpassed the earnings of the initial movie ($302.5 million pre-pandemic), however, it requires an additional $69 million in revenue to surpass “Sonic The Hedgehog 2,” which would then make it the highest-grossing film in the series so far.

Nosferatu Has Passed $100 Million At The Global Box Office

Currently, family-oriented films are dominating the box office, but Robert Eggers’ chilling adaptation of Nosferatu, a new horror movie, hasn’t been overlooked. It debuted in cinemas on Christmas as a contrast to the usual holiday spirit, and it has sparked enthusiasm among more mature viewers. Though it doesn’t have the box office clout to challenge the blockbuster video game adaptation and animated prequel leading domestically right now, it’s still garnering strong reactions globally.

The highly praised vampire movie raked in approximately $21.7 million during its first weekend domestically, and an additional $13.2 million in its second weekend, resulting in a total of $69.4 million so far. This film has already surpassed Eggers’ previous box office record, beating the 2022 release The Northman, which grossed $34.2 million domestically. On a global scale, Nosferatu is now the 49th film of 2024 to earn over $100 million.

Following a slight delay, the upcoming weekend marks the long-awaited cinema debuts of several highly anticipated films in 2025. Christian Gudegast’s “Den of Thieves 2: Pantera” will be playing at theaters nationwide, giving movie enthusiasts the chance to catch it. Additionally, Michael Gracey’s Robbie Williams biopic titled “Better Man” and Gia Coppola’s “The Last Showgirl” will also be available for viewing across the country. Be sure to visit TopMob next Sunday for the box office results and stay updated with our 2025 Movie Release Schedule to plan your big screen adventures accordingly.

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2025-01-05 23:37