The King Has Returned: ‘Mufasa’ Wins Its First Weekend at the Box Office
After falling behind Sonic the Hedgehog 3 in its first two weekends in theaters, Mufasa kicked off 2025 by finally vanquishing the speedy hedgehog.
According to a new report from Deadline, Mufasa is expected to outgross Sonic $24 million to $20 million this weekend.
Photo: Disney
If you have been reading along here at MickeyBlog, you know that Mufasa has shown surprising endurance at the box office. After getting off to a slow start, the film has continued to gain momentum.
‘Mufasa’s’ Comeback
After winning the five-day Christmas window, Mufasa was able to keep the good times going.
Disney’s latest blockbuster is expected to top $168 million at the domestic box office by the end of this weekend.
Photo: Disney
The film has grossed $213.5 million internationally, giving it a global cume north of $370 million.
The Film Now Has a Real Chance at Profitability
Based on the film’s $200 million budget, Disney will need Mufasa to gross over $500 million to turn a profit. While that number once seemed lofty, it has since become attainable.
With children returning to school on Monday, Mufasa will not be able to deliver the same kind of weekday results that Disney has grown accustomed to.
Nevertheless, Mufasa has proven to have a unique staying power, and there are limited major releases on the horizon.
Photo: Disney
Disney’s Strong Start to 2025
So far, 2025 is looking good for Disney. In addition to Mufasa’s strong weekend, Moana 2 sailed strong in its sixth weekend in theaters, grossing another $12 million.
Photo: Disney
In total, the film has made $424.7 million in North American theatres and is closing in on the $1 billion mark globally.
Finally, there is A Complete Unknown. In its second weekend in theaters, the Bob Dylan biopic grossed another $7.5 million. In total, the film has made $41.2 million, the highest total for a Searchlight film since the studio was acquired by Disney.
Timothée Chalamet in A COMPLETE UNKNOWN. Photo by Macall Polay, Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2024 Searchlight Pictures All Rights Reserved.
Just five days into the new year, Disney is riding high. Hopefully, they can keep the momentum going.
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