As a seasoned movie critic with over two decades of experience under my belt, I must say that this weekend’s box office race is more than just a friendly competition – it’s a thrilling dash between the Blue Blur and the King of the Pride Lands!
In its North American debut, “Sonic the Hedgehog 3″ has been speeding past competitors and raking in $25 million at 3,761 theaters over both Friday and previews. On the other hand, “Mufasa: The Lion King” is coming in a close second, taking in $13.3 million from 4,100 locations within the same time period.
Contrary to predictions of a close competition between two animated animal films, “Sonic’s” sequel from Paramount has significantly surpassed the debut of “Mufasa”. While typically, moviegoing is postponed during mid-December weekends as people prepare for the holidays, this hasn’t dampened the enthusiasm for “Sonic 3”. The film almost matched the opening day revenue of “$26 million” earned by “Sonic 2” in April 2022. With such a strong start, it seems likely that “Sonic 3” will easily surpass its predicted opening range of $55 to $60 million.
The $122 million production of “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” is off to a promising beginning. Moreover, with kids being on vacation and parents looking forward to outdoor family activities during the coming weeks, this time of year typically sees a surge in theater releases. To its advantage, “Sonic 3” boasts top-notch reviews within the franchise and positive feedback from fans. The moviegoer pollster Cinema Score has even given it an A grade, suggesting that viewers are highly enthusiastic about the film.
In a return to the director’s chair for “Sonic 3”, Jeff Fowler brings together Ben Schwartz as the voice of Sonic the Hedgehog, Colleen O’Shaughnessey as Tails the Fox, Idris Elba as Knuckles the Echidna, and James Marsden as his human mentor figure. Together, they face off against the formidable Shadow the Hedgehog (Keanu Reeves) and the mustache-sporting Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey, reprising his dual roles).
Disney’s upcoming film “Mufasa,” directed by Academy Award winner Barry Jenkins following his success with “If Beale Street Could Talk,” is banking heavily on a prosperous holiday season. However, it’s expected to trail behind in second place due to its substantial production budget exceeding $200 million. This effects-rich film functions as an original prequel to the 2019 photorealistic “Lion King” remake directed by Jon Favreau.
During the first weekends of December, openings typically don’t match the excitement of summer releases, but “Sonic 3” demonstrates that people are still willing to prioritize a fresh movie release over the holiday season if it’s enticing enough. On the other hand, competitors predict a $35 million opening weekend for “Mufasa,” which represents a significant drop compared to the $191 million domestic debut of its 2019 predecessor.
Despite generally average reviews, the movie hasn’t generated much excitement, but audiences seem more receptive, giving it a B grade from Cinema Score (a drop from the A grade achieved by the 2019 “Lion King”). Even with a substantial holiday multiplier yet to be fully realized following this slow opening, Disney is primarily counting on international viewers to make “Mufasa” a successful theatrical release. The original “Lion King” is considered a global phenomenon. The 2019 remake brought in over $1 billion internationally, and this prequel is expected to lead the international box office this weekend, as “Sonic 3” doesn’t open in most territories until Christmas.
Disney doesn’t need to worry about “Moana 2” as it currently competes for the third spot after earning an additional $3 million on Friday. The animated musical sequel has already surpassed $350 million in North America and is expected to exceed Despicable Me 4’s domestic earnings ($361 million) by the end of the weekend, making it the fourth-highest grossing domestic film of the year so far. Globally, “Moana 2” has now accumulated over $725 million.
In a battle for third place on domestic box office charts, it’s going up against Universal’s “Wicked.” The split-screen version of the hugely successful Broadway musical is projected to earn an additional $14 million in its fifth weekend, bringing its domestic earnings above $384 million. As the holiday season kicks into high gear, hitting the $400 million mark seems imminent.
The fifth position is claimed by “Homestead,” a faith-based drama from Angel Studios, which depicts the survival of an encampment post an apocalyptic event in the U.S. It subtly introduces a potential new TV series within the movie’s conclusion. However, this approach might have negatively influenced viewers as Cinema Score assigned it a B grade, significantly lower than the typical A-range for Angel Studios productions. The film grossed approximately $2.8 million on its opening day from 1,886 locations and aims to surpass $5 million in its three-day run.
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2024-12-21 19:46