Turns out, “Mufasa” just had to wait to be king.
Disney’s “Lion King” prequel is No. 1 at the domestic box office after trotting behind “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” in its opening weekend. (“Mufasa” claimed victory at the end of 2024 over the five-day holiday stretch, but “Sonic 3” was ever-so-slightly ahead during the traditional weekend.) “Mufasa” added an additional $24 million from 3,925 North American theaters in its third weekend of release, declining just 26% from its prior outing. So far, the family friendly musical adventure about the future leader of the Pride Lands has grossed $168 million domestically and $476 million globally. Those are solid ticket sales after a rocky start in theaters. But “Mufasa” cost over $200 million to produce, and since theater owners get to keep half of revenues, the tentpole needs to keep stampeding through cinemas in the new year to justify its budget.
“Sonic the Hedgehog 3” slid to second place with $21.2 million from 3,746 venues in its third frame on the big screen, down 42% from last weekend. The threequel about a blue, anthropomorphic speedster has generated $187.5 million domestically and $336 million globally. The third entry in the Sega video game-inspired series has already outgrossed the original, 2020’s “Sonic the Hedgehog” ($148 million domestically, $319 million worldwide), and is well on its way to outpacing 2022’s sequel “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” ($190 million domestically, $405 million worldwide). After this weekend, the “Sonic” franchise has surpassed $1 billion in total box office receipts worldwide. A fourth film is already in the works.
“The ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ franchise has become an unstoppable cultural force with limitless potential,” Paramount Pictures president and CEO Brian Robbins said in a statement about the billion-dollar milestone. “As each chapter of Sonic’s adventures continues to raise the bar, we’re incredibly proud and excited to continue delivering stories and characters that resonate with audiences around the world.”
January tends to be slow at the box office, and the start to 2025 is no exception. Holdover business from Thanksgiving and Christmas releases like “Nosferatu,” “Moana 2,” “Wicked” and “A Complete Unknown” rounded out North American charts.
“Nosferatu,” the long-in-the-works “Dracula” remake from director Robert Eggers, remained in third place, scaring up $13.2 million from 3,132 theaters in its second weekend of release. The Focus Features film, starring Bill Skarsgård as Count Orlok, has become an indie breakout with $69.4 million domestically since Christmas Day and $100 million at the global box office.
Disney’s “Moana 2” landed in the No. 4 spot with $12.3 million in its sixth weekend, boosting its tally to $425 million in North America and $960 million worldwide. The animated sequel, which was developed for streaming before pivoting to cinemas, is poised to cross the $1 billion mark in the coming weeks.
Universal’s “Wicked” adaptation rounded out the top five with $10.2 million in its seventh frame, bringing its total revenues to $450 million in the U.S. and Canada and $681 million globally.
“A Complete Unknown,” starring Timothée Chalamet as “Like a Rolling Stone” composer Bob Dylan, stayed at No. 6 with $8.1 million from 2,835 screens in its second weekend of release. So far, the musical biopic has generated $41.7 million domestically. The film, from Disney’s Searchlight banner, isn’t releasing overseas until later in January and into February.
Hollywood is banking on 2025 as the long-awaited rebound year after the pandemic and two union strikes had upended the box office over the last half-decade. Over the next 12 months, blockbuster hopefuls like “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” “Superman,” “Jurassic World Rebirth” and “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” will attempt to help movie theaters recapture their pre-COVID glory.
