As a seasoned movie buff with over three decades of attending films in various formats under my belt, I must say that this week’s box office is as diverse as a Quentin Tarantino film festival. On one hand, we have Disney’s “Mufasa: The Lion King,” a family-friendly prequel that’s proving to be quite the king of the jungle. On the other, we have Barry Jenkins stepping out of his comfort zone with this big-budget blockbuster, which is a stark contrast to the intimate narratives he’s previously brought to life.
Over the holiday season, Disney’s “Mufasa: The Lion King” is leading the box office sales. This family-friendly movie, a prequel to both the original 1994 animated “The Lion King” and the 2019 photorealistic version, made $12 million on Thursday alone. This adds up to a total of $76.4 million earned in North America.
Breaking away from his usual niche, Barry Jenkins, famously known for guiding art films like “Moonlight” and “If Beale Street Could Talk,” took on the director’s chair for “Mufasa.” Produced at a cost of $200 million, the film initially struggled against Paramount’s “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” in its debut weekend within the U.S., but it appears to be gaining traction with holiday audiences. The film is projected to generate around $58 million during the five-day holiday stretch. This would set a positive tone for Disney as they wrap up 2024, having ruled over cinemas with box office successes such as “Deadpool & Wolverine,” “Moana 2” and “Inside Out 2.
As a movie enthusiast, I must say that over the weekend, “Sonic 3” was hot on the heels of “Mufasa,” raking in $11.5 million, pushing its domestic total to an impressive $99.5 million. Both films are currently vying for the attention of younger audiences, paving the way for a slew of anticipated movies targeting older viewers. Among these, Focus Features’ “Nosferatu,” a chilling horror film helmed by Robert Eggers, the visionary behind “The Witch,” is leaving quite an impact. This modern take on F. W. Murnau’s expressionist classic, inspired by Bram Stoker’s Dracula, collected $7.6 million in North America during its first two days, and has already grossed an impressive $19.1 million. By the end of its first five days in theaters, it’s projected to earn a substantial $36 million. With a hefty budget of $50 million (for an arthouse film), “Nosferatu” boasts stunning visuals and captivating performances from its talented cast, including Lily Rose Depp, Nicholas Hoult, and Bill Skarsgard. Critics have been raving about its visual style and the performances of its stellar ensemble.
Furthermore, there’s the movie “A Complete Unknown,” produced by Searchlight, which features Timothee Chalamet portraying a character reminiscent of Bob Dylan, as seen in the film “Like a Rolling Stone.” On its fifth day, it made $4.3 million, raising its domestic total to $11.5 million. Directed by James Mangold, this movie also stars Edward Norton, Monica Barbaro, and Boyd Holbrook as other iconic musicians from the ’60s. It’s projected to earn around $23 million during the five-day holiday period. With a production budget of between $60 million and $70 million, this film will gauge the star power Chalamet demonstrated in more commercially successful films such as “Dune” and “Wonka.
Independent studio A24, known for “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” is presenting some unusual holiday selections. These include “Babygirl,” a provocative thriller directed by Dutch filmmaker Halina Reijn, and “The Brutalist,” an expansive historical epic that runs for approximately three hours and a bit (with an interval). In “Babygirl,” Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson take on the lead roles. It generated $1.3 million on Thursday, bringing its domestic total to $2.8 million over two days of wide release. “The Brutalist,” starring Adrien Brody and directed by Brady Corbet, earned $54,711 on Thursday. It opened in six theaters last weekend and has accumulated $484,291 so far.
To conclude, Amazon MGM Studios’ “The Fire Inside”, an inspiring sports drama centering around American professional boxer Claessha “T-Rex” Shields, generated $613,000 on Thursday. This brings its total earnings to approximately $2.2 million after two days of widespread release. Rachel Morrison, the highly acclaimed cinematographer from “Mudbound”, steps into her first feature director role for this film, with Ryan Destiny and Brian Tyree Henry spearheading the cast.
“On the Thursday box office list, ‘Mufasa’, ‘Sonic 3’, and ‘Nosferatu’ claimed the top three positions. ‘Wicked’ from Universal and Disney’s ‘Moana 2’ followed in fourth and fifth place respectively. ‘Wicked’ earned an additional $6.9 million, bringing its domestic earnings close to $404.7 million, while ‘Moana 2’ collected $5.8 million, increasing its domestic total to $376.4 million.
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2024-12-27 19:46