Disney’s prequel Mufasa: The Lion King underperformed in its global debut, opening with $122.2M worldwide, significantly below projections. Internationally, it took second place to Wonka, but still managed to open as the top non-local movie in all markets. Despite initial struggles, the film may see an uptick during the holiday season.
Moana 2 continues to gain momentum, closing in on $800M global with an estimated $790.2M through Sunday. Universal’s Wicked also added $12.6M in international markets, reaching a worldwide total of $187.4M. Paramount’s Gladiator II passed $400M global this weekend.
The prequel’s performance has raised concerns about the quality of future Disney remakes. The film’s weak start may impact its final gross, with some predictions suggesting it could fail to reach $600M globally. Meanwhile, Moana 2 is expected to surpass $800M worldwide but may not quite reach $900M.
A key factor contributing to Mufasa’s underperformance is the holiday season, which typically leads to family-friendly releases dominating box office charts. Despite this, some analysts predict a potential uptick in the film’s performance as time frees up from distractions.
Source: https://deadline.com/2024/12/mufasa-lion-king-international-global-box-office-opening-1236240069