NEW YORK – In the Christmas battle of big-budget family movies, Paramount Pictures' “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” raced past the Walt Disney Co “Mufasa: The Lion King” to take the highest spot on the box office ahead of the lucrative Christmas corridor in theaters.
According to studio estimates, “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” opened in theaters over the weekend with ticket sales of $62 million. With strong reviews (86% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) and a high audience rating (an “A” on CinemaScore), “Sonic 3” is well-positioned to be the highest selection in theaters in the course of the busiest time of yr.
It's indicative of a bigger trend that “Sonic 3” – made for $122 million – trumped considered one of Disney's top movies. Video game adaptationsonce some of the derided film genres, has develop into some of the reliable box office hits lately. The previous two Sonic movies grossed greater than $700 million worldwide worldwide, and the third installment is anticipated to do higher than each. A fourth “Sonic” film is already in development.
However, “Mufasa” suffered humiliation in its opening weekend as domestic ticket sales of $35 million fell well wanting expectations. The photorealistic “Lion King” prequel opened even further than “Sonic 3,” opening in 4,100 theaters and gobbling up probably the most IMAX screens, in comparison with 3,761 locations for “Sonic 3.”
Although reviews for “Mufasa” were poor (56% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes), audiences gave the film an “A-” CinemaScore grade.
“Sonic 3” nearly doubled the earnings of “Mufasa,” which cost greater than $200 million to provide. To make up the difference, Disney could hope for international sales of $87.2 million. The third “Sonic” might be launched in most foreign markets in the approaching weeks.
In director Jeff Fowler's Sonic 3, Ben Schwartz returns because the voice of the hedgehog, alongside Tails the Fox (Colleen O'Shaughnessey), Knuckles the Echidna (Idris Elba) and Jim Carrey within the stunning dual roles as Dr. Robotnik and his grandfather.
“Moonlight” filmmaker Barry Jenkins is directing “Mufasa's.” Voice forged, including Aaron PierreKelvin Harrison Jr., Donald Glover, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Mads Mikkelsen and Blue Ivy Carter. It follows Jon Favreau's 2019 photorealistic remake of The Lion King, which grossed $1.66 billion worldwide despite mixed reviews. “Mufasa” didn’t come near matching the film’s huge opening weekend, which brought in $191 million.
“We felt strongly that the market could support both films and we are certainly holding up our end of the bargain,” said Paramount distribution chief Chris Aronson.
There's no big franchise movie coming this Christmas. The most anticipated release on December twenty fifth is perhaps “A Complete Unknown,” starring Timothee Chalamet as Bob Dylan. This implies that “Sonic 3” may very well be at No. 1 for several weeks in a row.
“The family audience for 'Sonic 2' was 59%.” This time it's 46%. This 13% decline reflects the time of yr we’re coping with,” Aronson said. “I think once the market really gets going, 'Sonic' will be the dominant force.”
Many of Disney's live-action adaptations – including “Aladdin,” “Beauty and the Beast” and “The Jungle Book” – were huge successes. Others, like “Dumbo,” “Mulan” and “The Little Mermaid,” were less well received. More are on the best way, including a brand new “Snow White” in March, “Lilo & Stitch” in May, and plans for “Moana” and “Tangled” to get the identical live-action treatment.
Despite the muted opening of “Mufasa,” Disney remains to be having its strongest annual performance in years. The studio has generated greater than $5 billion in ticket sales worldwide, including the yr's two biggest hits: “Inside Out 2” And “Deadpool and Wolverine.” The animated one “Moana 2” could give Disney the three best movies of the yr. It grossed $790.2 million worldwide within the 4 weeks following its release, including $13.1 million in U.S. and Canadian theaters this weekend.
While Christmas often sees among the biggest releases of the yr, movies released around Thanksgiving have really boosted the box office this season. These include “Moana 2” and Universal Pictures’ “Wicked,” which took third place in its fifth weekend.
“Evil,” the successful musical adaptation Starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, the film grossed $13.5 million in North American theaters, bringing its domestic total to $383.9 million.
These movies, amongst other things, have led to Hollywood's recovery in 2024. After a big deficit at first of the yr, total sales are approaching those of 2023. According to Comscore, the gap narrowed to 4.4% in comparison with last yr's results. While that's still significantly lower than within the years before the pandemic, it's enough to flip the script on what once gave the impression of a difficult yr for movies.
Family movies like “Inside Out 2”, “Moana 2” and “Sonic 3” played an enormous role. Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore, noted that animated movies accounted for 26.5% of box office revenue this yr.
“The cinema year was saved by attracting family audiences to the multiplex cinema,” said Dergarabedian.
“Homestead,” the newest release from Christian-based Angel Studios, the distributor of “Sound of Freedom”, opened with $6.1 million. It's a few group of doomsday planners who seek refuge in a self-sufficient area after a nuclear attack in California.
Brady Corbet's “The Brutalist” One of one of the best Oscar contenders of the yr, it premiered on 4 screens in New York and Los Angeles. The $66,698 per-screen average was considered one of the very best of 2024. The post-war epic runs three and a half hours and clearly presents a theatrical challenge. A24 is attempting to turn the film, starring Adrien Brody and Guy Pearce, into an arthouse event. It was nominated for seven Golden Globes.
Final domestic box office figures might be released on Monday. Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, in keeping with Comscore:
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.
Originally published:
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