Disney’s Mufasa, a prequel to the 2019 Lion King remake, has topped the global box office with a $122 million debut, including $87 million from international markets. Despite leading the worldwide charts, the film’s performance fell short of expectations, which had forecasted $130 million overseas and $180 million globally.
In North America, Mufasa debuted with $35 million, landing in second place behind Sonic the Hedgehog 3, which earned $62 million. Notably, Sonic 3 does not open internationally until December 25. The film’s international markets were led by China, which contributed $7.8 million, followed by France ($7.7 million), Mexico ($7.1 million), and the UK ($5.5 million).
Directed by Barry Jenkins, the Oscar-winning filmmaker behind Moonlight, Mufasa explores the early years of the future ruler of the Pride Lands. The movie is set before Jon Favreau’s 2019 remake, which earned $1.66 billion globally despite mixed reviews.
‘Mufasa’ also faced lukewarm critical reception. The film features music by Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda and a voice cast including Aaron Pierre and Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Mufasa and Scar, respectively, along with Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Mads Mikkelsen, and Blue Ivy Carter. With a budget exceeding $200 million, Disney needs the film to maintain strong performance through the new year to recoup costs and continue its box office momentum, following hits like Inside Out 2, Deadpool & Wolverine, and Moana 2.
Meanwhile, Moana 2 added $32.8 million from 52 international markets this weekend. Originally intended for streaming, the film has been a theatrical success, grossing $431 million internationally and $790.2 million globally. It’s on track to become Disney’s third 2024 release to surpass the $1 billion mark.
In other international box office news, Universal’s Wicked adaptation has earned an additional $12.6 million, bringing its total to $571 million worldwide. The film, starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, has become the second-highest-grossing Broadway adaptation, behind 2008’s Mamma Mia ($611 million).
Paramount’s Gladiator II added $5.4 million this weekend, pushing its overseas earnings to $262.3 million. The sequel to Ridley Scott’s 2000 epic has grossed $416 million globally, but it remains in the red for Paramount, which spent over $250 million on the film’s production.
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