Disney’s highly anticipated sequel “Mufasa: The Lion King” fell short of expectations in its opening weekend, collecting $35 million domestically. In contrast, the new adventure comedy “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” took top spot with a whopping $62 million, exceeding analyst predictions.
Paramount Pictures spent around $122 million to produce “Sonic 3,” while Disney shelled out over $200 million for its photorealistic prequel. Despite its larger budget, “Mufasa” received lower CinemaScore grades and weaker reviews compared to “Sonic 3.”
Disney had hoped that the prequel would be a hit, especially with its wider release and premium IMAX bookings. However, audiences seemed less interested in starting the story than watching how it concludes. Director Barry Jenkins and original songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda failed to impress critics.
On the other hand, “Sonic 3” proved to be a crowd-pleaser, raking in A-grade scores from CinemaScore exit polls and positive reviews. This success is expected to carry over into the Christmas holiday season, with many predicting strong word-of-mouth among families.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/22/business/sonic-mufasa-lion-king-box-office.html