Hedgehog Rolls Over the Lion King at the Box Office, Don’t Count out the King of Pride Rock. Sonic The Hedgehog 3 may have won the battle, but the war is not even close to being over. Opening weekend box office numbers are in and the sequel beat out the prequel by almost doubling the numbers. Sonic The Hedgehog 3 ended the domestic box office for the weekend before Christmas with $62 million, while Mufasa: The Lion King brought in bigger international numbers, domestically it was a weaker-than-expected opening with $35 million.
Truth be told, both movies came in under projections for the past weekend. Sonic was thought to come in closest to predictions of 65 to 75 million, and Mufasa was predicted between 50 and 85 million. Internationally, Mufasa outperformed Sonic 3, but that is only because Sonic 3 opened in fewer markets. Mufasa ended the weekend with a total of $122 million.
Now, with how positive the next few paragraphs are about Walt Disney Studios, this does not take away anything from Sonic 3. The movie is hitting the nostalgic video game players, while bringing in new fans. Jim Carey is showing he can still perform the antics he has always been known for and is leading a great cast.
This does not mean Mufasa: The Lion King won’t perform well. The real Christmas box office numbers will be this coming week and into the weekend, which will prove if the movie has legs or not. The weekend before Christmas has historically been weaker for numerous reasons, including people having last-minute prep for the holidays, plus traveling.
The Walt Disney Company should never be counted out. They are the only studio to make over $2 billion domestically for 2024 and $5 billion internationally. Leading the way has been Inside Out 2, the highest-grossing movie of 2024 and the highest-grossing animated movie of all time. Also, Deadpool & Wolverine became the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time.
Sonic the Hedgehog returns to the big screen this holiday season in his most thrilling adventure yet. Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails reunite against a powerful new adversary, Shadow, a mysterious villain with powers unlike anything they have faced before. With their abilities outmatched in every way, Team Sonic must seek out an unlikely alliance in hopes of stopping Shadow and protecting the planet.
Exploring the unlikely rise of the beloved king of the Pride Lands, “Mufasa: The Lion King” enlists Rafiki to relay the legend of Mufasa to young lion cub Kiara, daughter of Simba and Nala, with Timon and Pumbaa lending their signature schtick. Told in flashbacks, the story introduces Mufasa as an orphaned cub, lost and alone until he meets a sympathetic lion named Taka—the heir to a royal bloodline. The chance meeting sets in motion an expansive journey of an extraordinary group of misfits searching for their destiny—their bonds will be tested as they work together to evade a threatening and deadly foe.
