Mufasa Expected to Bounce Back With Christmas Box Office Win

It’s shaping up to be a great Christmas for Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King, as the latest Disney live-action adaptation looks to claim the top spot over the holiday. Mufasa is set to win the five-day holiday weekend (which is the period from Wednesday to Sunday) with an estimated total $61 million (via THR), which will be enough to keep Sonic 3 at bay with its estimated take of $59 million.

That’s great news for Mufasa, which didn’t hit its targets during the opening weekend. Mufasa collided with the juggernaut that was Sonic 3, and the result was Mufasa taking away $35 million while Sonic 3 hit $62 million. With a budget of $200 million, things weren’t looking so great, but as things are shaping up, it appears the film has some solid legs over the holiday.

Ironically Sonic 3 could actually still win the battle of the second weekend despite losing the battle over Christmas. Over the three day weekend, Sonic is estimated to be around $37.5 million, while Mufasa is estimated to be in the area of $34 or $35 million. Mufasa is sitting at $88.4 million domestically as of Friday, while Sonic 3 has passed the $100 million mark.

The even better news is that other movies are doing well as the box office too. The weekend’s big debut is the Robert Eggers directed Nosferatu, which soared past expectations and is expected to post a five day opening of $39 to $40 million. It currently holds a B- CinemaScore.

[RELATED: Mufasa Makes Scar Killing His Brother in The Lion King Worse (Not Better)]

Timothee Chalamet’s A Complete Unknown is also doing better than expected, and right now looks to bring in $22 million over the five-day holiday. The film holds an A CinemaScore. Then there’s the Nicole Kidman starring The Brutalist, which is looking to bring in $7 million over the five-day weekend and holds a B- CinemaScore.

In addition to Mufasa and Sonic 3, films like Moana 2 and Wicked are also still in theaters, so there’s no shortage of films for families to head out and see. For Mufasa, that will hopefully help it recoup that $200 million dollar budget and make its way to profitability, and this excellent performance over Christmas certainly helped in that regard. You can find the official description for Mufasa below.

“Exploring the unlikely rise of the beloved king of the Pride Lands, Mufasa: The Lion King enlists Rafiki to relay the legend of Mufasa to young lion cub Kiara, daughter of Simba and Nala, with Timon and Pumbaa lending their signature schtick. Told in flashbacks, the story introduces Mufasa as an orphaned cub, lost and alone until he meets a sympathetic lion named Taka—the heir to a royal bloodline. The chance meeting sets in motion an expansive journey of an extraordinary group of misfits searching for their destiny—their bonds will be tested as they work together to evade a threatening and deadly foe.”

What did you think of Mufasa? You can talk all things movies with me on Bluesky @KnightofOA!