Box Office: ‘Mufasa’ Wins With $23.8M, ‘Sonic 3’ Sits at No. 2 as Franchise Crosses $1B Globally
After a close holiday battle with Paramount’s Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King safely pulled ahead to win the first weekend of the new year with $23.8 million as the film’s domestic total climbed to $168.6 million. Overseas, it raced past the $300 million mark after grossing another $53.3 million to finish Sunday with a global total of $476.4 million, which makes it the 10th top-grossing title of 2024.
Sonic 3 is certainly no slouch, and it followed Mufasa in second place this weekend with $21.2 million for a domestic total of $187.5 million. It took in $51.2 million offshore for a foreign tally of $148.8 million and $336.3 million worldwide.
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Additionally, Paramount announced Sunday that the marquee franchise, based on the Sega video game, has crossed the $1 billion mark in worldwide tickets sold. The threequel has been a huge crowd-pleaser after adding Keanu Reeves to the star-studded cast, led by Jim Carrey.
The strength of the year-end holiday marquee continue to buoy the box office. Overall revenue for the weekend was up by as much has 20 percent over the same frame last year (unfortunately, it’s still well behind 2019 levels).
Robert Eggers and Focus Features’ holiday vampire pic Nosferatu placed third with $13.2 for a pleasing domestic tally of $69.4 million in its second weekend. The pic was among several films opening nationwide on Christmas Day; Sonic 3 and Mufasa opened on Dec. 20 and are now in their third weekends.
Nosferatu — which jumped the $100 million mark — has done far better than expected and boasts one of the best showings ever for a horror pic opening at Christmas. The male-skewing movie stars Lily-Rose Depp, Nicholas Hoult and Bill Skarsgard. It’s also doing impressive business internationally, where it added $26 million to its coffers for a foreign total of $31 million and $100.4 million globally. Per Universal, it is among the top starts ever for a horror title.
Disney took fourth place domestically with its hit Thanksgiving film Moana 2, which earned $12.4 million in its sixth outing as it prepares to join the billion-dollar box office club. The animated pic has earned $425.2 domestically and $553.3 million overseas for a domestic total of $960.5 million through Sunday.
Universal’s top Golden Globes nominee Wicked rounded out the top five with $10.2 million for a domestic total of $450.7 million. Through Sunday, its foreign total is an estimated $230.5 million for a global cume of $681.3 million (the stage play isn’t so well known in non-English speaking territories).
Disney’s specialty division Searchlight Pictures is also smiling. Timothée Chalamet’s critically acclaimed A Complete Unknown, another Globes best picture contender, continues to exceed expectations after opening Dec. 25. It placed sixth for the weekend with $8.1 million for a domestic cume of $41.7 million. The film earned a perfect A CinemaScore from audiences (so far, the movie is skewing female and older) and marks Searchlight’s top-grossing film since it was acquired by Disney.
A24’s much-buzzed-about awards hopeful Babygirl, starring Nicole Kidman, placed No. 7 in its second weekend with an estimated $4.5 million for a domestic total of $16.1 million (Kidman is up for a best acting Globe). A24 also has Globe best picture nominee The Brutalist, which bypassed a nationwide release in favor of a traditional platform rollout. The Adrien Brody-starrer, which upped its location count to eight locations in its second outing, has already earned $1.2 million.
Among other best picture contenders competing in the drama and musical/comedy categories at Sunday’s Golden Globes, Amazon MGM Studios’ Nickel Boys and Paramount’s September 5, are also starting out slowly in hopes of enjoying an awards boost before expanding nationwide. Nickel Boys, playing in 18 locations, has grossed $413,000 to date, while September 5‘s early domestic total is $291,000.
Among Globe nominees opening well before the holidays, Neon’s Anora, playing in 12 locations, has earned $14.4 million to date. Focus’ Conclave, which is now available in the home, has grossed $31.1 million domestically.
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