Sonic 3 Outshines ‘Mufasa: The Lion King’ at the Box Office

NEW YORK (AP) — In the competitive landscape of holiday family films, Paramount Pictures’ “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” surged ahead of Walt Disney Co.’s “Mufasa: The Lion King”, claiming the top position at the box office just before the bustling Christmas movie season.

“Sonic the Hedgehog 3” kicked off its run with an impressive $62 million in ticket sales over the weekend, according to studio estimates. Garnering strong critical acclaim (86% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) and a solid audience rating (an “A” on CinemaScore), the film is poised to be a favorite among moviegoers during this peak time for cinema attendance.

It’s noteworthy that “Sonic 3” — created with a budget of $122 million — outperformed one of Disney’s flagship franchises. The success of videogame adaptations, once viewed with skepticism, has solidified their status as strong contenders at the box office, particularly in recent years. The previous two films in the “Sonic” series collectively earned over $700 million globally, and the third installment is on track for similar or even greater success, with plans already in place for a fourth movie.

Contrastingly, “Mufasa” faced a challenging premiere weekend, raking in only $35 million in domestic ticket sales, which fell short of expectations. Despite being released in a greater number of theaters (4,100 compared to Sonic’s 3,761) and dominating IMAX screens, its performance was underwhelming. Critics were not kind to “Mufasa,” giving it a low rating of 56% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, although audience scores were more favorable, reflected in an “A-” rating on CinemaScore.

“Sonic 3” nearly doubled the earnings of “Mufasa,” which had a production cost exceeding $200 million. Disney might utilize its $87.2 million in international earnings to help offset some losses. The international rollout for “Sonic 3” is set to begin in the coming weeks.

Directed by Jeff Fowler, “Sonic 3” features Ben Schwartz reprising his role as the voice of the iconic hedgehog, alongside Colleen O’Shaughnessey as Tails, Idris Elba as Knuckles, and Jim Carrey taking on memorable dual roles as Dr. Robotnik and his grandfather.

The voice cast of “Mufasa,” directed by acclaimed filmmaker Barry Jenkins of “Moonlight,” includes notable names such as Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Donald Glover, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Mads Mikkelsen, and Blue Ivy Carter. This prequel builds on the success of Jon Favreau’s 2019 photorealistic remake of “The Lion King,” which grossed an astounding $1.66 billion worldwide, despite receiving mixed reviews. Unfortunately, “Mufasa” did not come close to matching that film’s impressive opening weekend of $191 million.

“We believed there was enough room in the marketplace for both films, and we’ve certainly done our part,” commented Chris Aronson, Paramount’s distribution chief. With no major franchise releases coming this Christmas, the highly anticipated film set to premiere on December 25 is “A Complete Unknown,” featuring Timothee Chalamet as Bob Dylan, suggesting that “Sonic 3” could maintain its dominance at the top of the box office for weeks to come.

Statistically, the family audience for “Sonic 3” was 46%, a noticeable decline from the 59% recorded for “Sonic 2.” Aronson attributed this 13% dip to the time of year, stating, “I believe once the market really heats up, ‘Sonic’ will emerge as the leading attraction.”

Disney has a mixed record with its live-action adaptations, with hits like “Aladdin,” “Beauty and the Beast,” and “The Jungle Book,” contrasted by less successful entries such as “Dumbo,” “Mulan,” and “The Little Mermaid.” Yet, more adaptations are on the horizon, including a new version of “Snow White” in March, “Lilo & Stitch” in May, with further plans for live-action interpretations of “Moana” and “Tangled.”

Despite the disappointing debut of “Mufasa,” Disney is celebrating its strongest annual box office performance in years, surpassing $5 billion in global ticket sales. This tally includes the top two hits of the year: “Inside Out 2” and “Deadpool and Wolverine.” Additionally, the animated “Moana 2” has significantly contributed to this success, having already grossed $790.2 million globally in just four weeks, with $13.1 million of that from U.S. and Canadian venues this weekend.

While Christmas typically showcases some of the year’s biggest releases, Thanksgiving weekend saw a surge in box office performance for films like “Moana 2” and Universal Pictures’ “Wicked,” which secured third place in its fifth week. “Wicked,” featuring the musical talents of Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, added $13.5 million to its domestic haul, boosting its total to $383.9 million.

This season has been a turning point for Hollywood, contributing to a rebound in 2024. After facing a substantial deficit earlier in the year, total sales are now approaching figures from 2023. Comscore reports that the gap has narrowed to just 4.4% behind last year’s earnings. While this still lags compared to pre-pandemic sales, it marks a significant turnaround for a year that initially seemed bleak for cinema.

Family-friendly films such as “Inside Out 2,” “Moana 2,” and “Sonic 3” have all played an essential role in this recovery. Paul Dergarabedian, a senior media analyst for Comscore, pointed out that animated films have represented 26.5% of the box office this year.

“The box office has been revitalized by the family audience flocking to theaters,” Dergarabedian said.

Separately, “Homestead,” the latest release from Christian-oriented Angel Studios (known for “Sound of Freedom”), earned $6.1 million. The film centers around a group of Doomsday preppers who seek refuge in a self-sufficient compound following a nuclear strike in California. Additionally, Brady Corbet’s “The Brutalist,” anticipated as a strong contender for major awards, launched on just four screens in major cities like New York and Los Angeles, boasting one of the highest per-screen averages of 2024 at $66,698. This epic film, featuring Adrien Brody and Guy Pearce, runs for three-and-a-half hours, presenting unique challenges for theatrical distribution. A24 aims to create a buzz around the film as an arthouse event, which has already received seven Golden Globe nominations.

Final domestic box office figures will be released on Monday, but preliminary estimates for ticket sales from Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore, are as follows:

1. “Sonic the Hedgehog 3,” $62 million.

2. “Mufasa: The Lion King,” $35 million.

3. “Wicked,” $13.5 million.

4. “Moana 2,” $13.1 million.

5. “Homestead,” $6.1 million.

6. “Gladiator II,” $4.5 million.

7. “Kraven the Hunter,” $3.1 million.

8. “Red One,” $1.4 million.

9. “Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim,” $1.3 million.

10. “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” $825,000.