Overview
- In its second weekend, Mufasa: The Lion King fell short by just $200,000 compared to Sonic the Hedgehog 3.
- The film demonstrated notable resilience post-Christmas, earning $36.8 million domestically and $77 million internationally during this period.
- Industry forecasts suggest that Mufasa: The Lion King could reach a domestic total of $200 million, with a global box office potential of $550 million.
Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King might not have secured first place in its initial box office race against Paramount’s Sonic the Hedgehog 3, but its impressive numbers following Christmas indicate that this animated feature has the stamina to remain competitive.
The narrative, which delves into the backstory of Mufasa and Scar before Mufasa ascends to leadership of the Pridelands, opened with a domestic gross of $35 million from over 4,100 theaters in North America and $87.2 million globally during its first three days. Notably, this figure fell short of the $50 million forecasts, lagging behind the $191.8 million domestic and $254 million international earnings of its 2019 predecessor, The Lion King. Additionally, it ranked second in the US, following Sonic the Hedgehog 3, which debuted with $60 million over the same weekend. Despite this initial setback, Mufasa: The Lion King demonstrated a robust rebound heading into its second weekend.
A Narrow Miss for the Top Spot
Second Weekend Financials: Just $200,000 Behind
Analysts anticipated that Mufasa: The Lion King would capitalize on the holiday audience, and it did just that, earning $14.7 million to emerge as the top film in the US on Christmas Day. The film sustained this momentum by pulling in an additional $12 million on Boxing Day, leading to a total domestic gross of approximately $36.8 million—a 3.8% increase—alongside $77 million internationally, reflecting only an 11.8% drop during its second weekend.
As the 2024 year-end approached, Mufasa: The Lion King came perilously close to overtaking Sonic the Hedgehog 3, which grossed $37 million during the same weekend. To provide context, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 experienced a significant 38% decline from its debut. In contrast, the numbers for Mufasa: The Lion King are inspiring when compared to its predecessor The Lion King, which saw a staggering 60% decline in its second weekend, with $76.6 million compared to its opening weekend of $191.8 million. However, Mufasa: The Lion King still has a long way to go to match the remarkable $1.66 billion worldwide total of the original film. To date, it has amassed $120 million in North America and $215 million from 53 international territories, leading to a combined total of $335 million.
There is a prevalent consensus among box office analysts that Mufasa: The Lion King is likely to finish behind Sonic the Hedgehog 3 in North American earnings. Nevertheless, the film’s performance during the holiday season has exceeded expectations, given its underwhelming 55% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and competition from not just the blue speedster, but also from films like Moana 2 and Wicked. Projections indicate a strong possibility for Mufasa: The Lion King to conclude its domestic run around $200 million, with a realistic expectation of starting close to $175 million. Furthermore, a global total of $550 million would complement the film’s stated budget of $200 million, although it seems unlikely to break into the list of 2024’s top 20 highest-grossing films. Given Wicked‘s weakened performance due to an unexpected early digital release, the upcoming weeks will be pivotal as audiences watch the competition between the lion and the hedgehog for box office supremacy.
Mufasa: The Lion King was released on December 20 and is currently available in theaters around the globe.
Source: Box Office Mojo, Luiz Fernando/X
Leave a Reply