'Sonic 3' bests 'Mufasa: The Lion King' at the box office

[December 23, 2024]  By JAKE COYLE

NEW YORK (AP) — In the holiday season battle of big-budget family movies, Paramount Pictures’ “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” sped past the Walt Disney Co.’s “Mufasa: The Lion King” to take the top spot at the box office ahead of the lucrative Christmas corridor in theaters.

“Sonic the Hedgehog 3” debuted with $62 million in ticket sales over the weekend, according to studio estimates. With strong reviews (86% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) and a high score from audiences (an “A” on CinemaScore), “Sonic 3” is well positioned to be the top choice in cinemas during the busiest moviegoing period of the year.

It was telling of some wider trends that “Sonic 3” — made for $122 million — bested one of Disney’s top properties. Videogame adaptations, once among the most derided movie genres, have emerged as one of the most dependable box office forces in recent years. The two previous “Sonic” movies together grossed more $700 million worldwide and the third installment appears likely to do better than both of them. A fourth “Sonic” movie is already in development.

“Mufasa,” however, was humbled in its opening weekend, with its $35 million in domestic ticket sales coming in notably shy of expectations . The photorealistic “Lion King” prequel even opened wider than “Sonic 3,” launching on 4,100 theaters and gobbling up most IMAX screens, compared with 3,761 locations for “Sonic 3.”

Though “Mufasa's” reviews were poor (56% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes), audiences gave it an “A-” CinemaScore.

“Sonic 3” nearly doubled the haul for “Mufasa,” which cost more than $200 million to make. Disney could look to $87.2 million in international sales to help make up the difference. The third “Sonic” will rollout in most overseas markets in the coming weeks.

In director Jeff Fowler’s “Sonic 3,” Ben Schwartz returns as the voice of the hedgehog, alongside Tails the Fox (Colleen O’Shaughnessey), Knuckles the Echidna (Idris Elba) and Jim Carrey in scene-stealing dual roles as Dr. Robotnik and his grandfather.

“Moonlight” filmmaker Barry Jenkins directs “Mufasa’s” voice cast, including Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Donald Glover, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Mads Mikkelsen and Blue Ivy Carter. It follows Jon Favreau’s 2019 photorealistic “The Lion King” remake, which made $1.66 billion globally despite mixed reviews. “Mufasa” didn’t come close to that film’s huge $191 million opening weekend.

“We felt strongly that the marketplace could support both movies and we’re certainly holding up our side of the bargain,” said Chris Aronson, distribution chief for Paramount.

No major franchise movie is coming this Christmas. The most anticipated Dec. 25 release might be “A Complete Unknown,” with Timothee Chalamet as Bob Dylan. That means “Sonic 3" could be looking at several weeks in a row at No. 1.

“The family audience was 59% on ‘Sonic 2.' This time it's 46%. That 13% drop reflects the time of year we’re dealing with," said Aronson. "I think once the marketplace really cooks, ‘Sonic’ is going to be the dominant force."

Many of Disney’s live-action adaptations – including “Aladdin,” “Beauty and the Beast” and “Jungle Book” – have been big hits. Others, such as “Dumbo,” “Mulan” and “The Little Mermaid,” have been less well received. More are on the way, including a new “Snow White” in March, “Lilo & Stitch” in May, and plans for “Moana” and “Tangled” to get the same live-action treatment.

This image released by Paramount Pictures and Sega of America shows the character Sonic, voiced by Ben Schwartz, in a scene from "Sonic the Hedgehog 3." (Paramount Pictures and Sega of America, Inc. via AP)

Despite “Mufasa's” muted opening, Disney is still celebrating its strongest annual performance in years. The studio has accounted for more than $5 billion in ticket sales worldwide, including the year’s top two hits: “Inside Out 2” and “Deadpool and Wolverine.” The animated “Moana 2” could give Disney the top three movies of the year. In four weeks of release, it has collected $790.2 million globally, including $13.1 million in U.S. and Canadian theaters over this weekend.

Though Christmas often sees some of the biggest releases of the year, movies released around Thanksgiving really drove the box office this season. That includes “Moana 2” and Universal Pictures’ “Wicked,” which managed third place in its fifth weekend.

“Wicked,” the hit musical adaption starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, added $13.5 million in North American theaters to push its domestic total to $383.9 million.

Those films, among others, have led a Hollywood rebound in 2024. After a significant deficit earlier in the year, overall sales are drawing close to those of 2023. According to Comscore, the gap has narrowed to 4.4% behind last year's results. While that’s still significantly less than pre-pandemic years, it’s enough to flip the script on what once looked like a rough year for the movies.

Family films like “Inside Out 2,” “Moana 2” and “Sonic 3” have played a major role. Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore, noted animated movies have accounted for 26.5% of this year's box office.

“The box office year was saved by the family audience being drawn to the multiplex,” said Dergarabedian.

“Homestead,” the latest release from Christian-themed Angel Studios, the distributor of “Sound of Freedom,” opened with $6.1 million. It follows a group of Doomsday preparers who take shelter in a self-sufficient compound after a nuclear attack in California.

Brady Corbet's “The Brutalist,” one of the year's top Oscar contenders, launched on four screens in New York and Los Angeles. Its $66,698 per-screen average was one of the highest of 2024. The post-World War II epic runs three-and-a-half hours, posing obvious theatrical challenges. A24 is trying 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 will be released Monday. Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to 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.

All contents © copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved