It turns out that Mufasa had to wait to become king.
Disney’s “Lion King” took first place at the domestic box office after finishing behind “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” on its opening weekend. (“Mufasa” claimed the win at the end of 2024 during the five-day holiday period, but “Sonic 3” was very slightly ahead during the traditional weekend.) “Mufasa” added an additional $24 million from 3,925 theaters in North America . in its third weekend of release, down only 26% from its previous release. To date, the family musical adventure about the future leader of the Pride Lands has grossed $168 million domestically and $476 million worldwide. These are strong ticket sales after a tough start in theaters. But “Mufasa” cost more than $200 million to produce, and since theater owners keep half the revenue, the tentpole will need to keep tramping through theaters in the new year to justify its budget.
“Sonic the Hedgehog 3” fell to second place, earning $21.2 million from 3,746 locations in its third frame on the big screen, a 42% decrease from last weekend. The trilogy about an anthropomorphic blue speedster grossed $187.5 million domestically and $336 million worldwide. The third entry in Sega’s video game-inspired series has already surpassed the original, 2020’s “Sonic the Hedgehog” ($148 million domestic, $319 million worldwide), and is on track to surpass 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 worldwide box office receipts. A fourth film is already in the works.
“The ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ franchise has become an unstoppable cultural force with limitless possibilities,” Brian Robbins, president and CEO of Paramount Pictures, said in a statement about the $1 billion milestone. “As each chapter of Sonic’s adventures continues to raise the bar, we are 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. Remaining hits from Thanksgiving and Christmas releases such as “Nosferatu”, “Moana 2”, “Wicked” and “A Complete Unknown” rounded out the charts in North America.
“Nosferatu,” the new version of “Dracula” directed by Robert Eggers, remained in third place, achieving revenues of $13.2 million in 3,132 theaters in its second weekend of release. The Focus Features film, starring Bill Skarsgård as Count Orlok, has been a hit, earning $69.4 million domestically since Christmas Day and $100 million at the global box office.
Disney’s “Moana 2” landed in fourth place, earning $12.3 million in its sixth weekend, raising its revenues to $425 million in North America and $960 million worldwide. The animated sequel, which was developed for streaming before being transferred to theaters, is expected to cross the $1 billion mark in the coming weeks.
Universal’s “Wicked” occupied the top five with revenues of $10.2 million in its seventh season, bringing its total revenues to $450 million in the United States and Canada and $681 million globally.
“A Complete Unknown,” starring Timothée Chalamet as “Like a Rolling Stone” composer Bob Dylan, remained in sixth place, earning $8.1 million from 2,835 screens in its second weekend of release. So far, the $70 million budget musical biopic has grossed $41.7 million domestically. The film, which bears Disney’s Searchlight logo, will not be released overseas until later in January and into February.
Although it’s early in the year, box office totals are up 55% compared to the same weekend in 2024, according to Comscore. Hollywood is counting on 2025 as the year of a long-awaited recovery after the pandemic and two union strikes upended the box office over the past half-decade. Over the next 12 months, promising films like “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” “Superman,” “Jurassic World Rebirth” and “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” will try to help movie theaters regain their pre-coronavirus glory.