'Mufasa: The Lion King', 'Sonic 3' claim box office supremacy
- By AFP -
- Dec 30, 2024
The holiday weekend in North America saw two films, ‘Mufasa: The Lion King’ and ‘Sonic 3’, battling for box-office supremacy and both emerging with a claim to first place.
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Disney’s animated drama ‘Mufasa: The Lion King’ prevailed in the five days from Christmas Day through Sunday with an estimated take of $63.8 million, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported, Sunday.
But Paramount’s action comedy ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 3’, which booked $59.9 million for that same five-day holiday period, came out on top for the traditional Friday-through-Sunday stretch, edging the Disney film by $38 million to $37.1 million.
Overall, the weekend generated ‘big, although not record-breaking box office’ numbers, said analyst David A. Gross, adding that ‘the next seven days should be excellent’.
New vampire pic ‘Nosferatu’ from Focus Features also posted impressive numbers, with $40.3 million for the five-day period and $21.2 million for the three-day weekend.
Gross called that ‘an excellent opening for a new horror film’ – a remake of the 1922 silent classic inspired by the 1897 novel ‘Dracula’ – and noted that critics’ reviews are outstanding.
The ensemble cast includes Bill Skarsgard, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Willem Dafoe and Nicholas Hoult.
Universal’s musical fantasy ‘Wicked’, starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, earned $31.7 million for five days ($19.5 million for three) as the latest spin on the magical world of Oz slipped one spot to fourth place. Its global earnings now stand at $634 million.
And Disney’s animated ‘Moana 2’ had an estimated $28.3 million in ticket sales for five days ($18.2 million for three), slipping one spot but holding on to top-five status for the fifth straight week.
Also Read: ‘Moana’ is the Live-Action Adaptation We Deserve?
Meantime, Searchlight Pictures’ ‘A Complete Unknown’, with Timothee Chalamet portraying an enigmatic Bob Dylan during the dizzying years that propelled the singer-songwriter from anonymity to world fame, took in a solid $23.3 million for five days ($11.6 million for three). Dylan himself has described Chalamet as a ‘brilliant actor’.
Rounding out the top 10 were:
‘Babygirl’ ($7.2 million for five days, $4.4 million for three)
‘Gladiator II’ ($5.9 million; $4.2 million)
‘Homestead’ ($5.3 million; $3.2 million)
‘The Fire Inside’ ($4.3 million; $2 million)