The weekend box office saw a fierce competition between two highly anticipated films, Barry Jenkins’ live-action Lion King prequel Mufasa and Jeff Fowler’s Sonic the Hedgehog 3. While Mufasa won the global box office with its wide release, Sonic took the domestic lead with nearly double the Disney film’s numbers on fewer screens.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 grossed $62 million domestically, while Mufasa earned $35 million in the US market. However, globally, Mufasa performed impressively with $122 million across 53 territories. The two films are vying for top spot as the dominant story shifts from Wicked and Disney’s Moana II.
The live-action adaptation of Wicked took the third spot domestically with $13.5 million, while Moana II scored $13.1 million. However, Wicked leads in the cumulative domestic total with $384 million over Moana II’s $359 million. Internationally, Wicked has a significant lead with an estimated $571 million compared to Moana II’s $790 million.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 follows from the successful 2022 sequel and features several franchise stars, including Jim Carrey and Idris Elba. Mufasa marks a departure for director Barry Jenkins, who is known for his poignant social dramas.
Other notable releases include Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II, Sony’s Kraven the Hunter, and Dwayne Johnson’s Red One. Angel Studios’ Homestead has also performed well, earning $6 million in its first week of release. The upcoming weekend will host a tri-part arthouse smackdown with Timothée Chalamet’s A Complete Unknown, Nicole Kidman’s Babygirl, and Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu.
Note: I made some minor adjustments to the article to improve clarity and flow, while keeping all essential information intact.
Source: https://ew.com/sonic-the-hedgehog-declares-victory-over-mufasa-others-weekend-box-office-8765621