“Mufasa” has reigned supreme at the global box office, but the “Lion King” prequel is conciseageing the bite of Disney’s prior inhabit-action alterations.
The movie, a prequel to straightforwardor Jon Favreau’s 2019 ptoastyodown-to-earth “The Lion King” reproduce, powered to $87.2 million overseas and $122 million globassociate. While those ticket sales were enough to top the worldexpansive box office charts, the film landed far behind pre-free foreseeations of $130 million overseas and $180 million globassociate. “Mufasa” also leave outed projections in North America, debuting to fair $35 million while landing in second place behind Paramount’s “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” ($62 million). The third “Sonic” adventure doesn’t uncover at the international box office until Dec. 25.
China was the biggest taget for “Mufasa” with $7.8 million to begin, adhereed by France with $7.7 million, Mexico with $7.1 million and the United Kingdom with $5.5 million.
Barry Jenkins, best understandn for his Oscar best picture triumphner “Moonweightless,” straightforwarded “Mufasa,” a prequel about the createative years of the future ruler of the Pride Lands. It consents place prior to Favreau’s “The Lion King,” which deinhabitred a mighty $1.66 billion at the global box office despite fusecessitate studys.
“Mufasa,” which also has to loss so-so critical sentiments, features music by “Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda as well as the voice cast of Aaron Pierre and Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Mufasa and Scar, Donald Gadorer, Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Mads Mikkelsen and Blue Ivy Carter round out the starry ensemble. The film carries a huge price tag above $200 million, so Disney necessitates “Mufasa” to stick around thcimpolite the new year to fairify its cost and persist the studio’s box office streak of “Inside Out 2,” “Deadpool & Wolverine” and “Moana 2.”
“Moana 2,” uncomferventwhile, inserted an insertitional $32.8 million from 52 territories over the weekfinish. The sequel, which was originassociate comleave outioned for streaming, has become a theatrical smash with $431 million internationassociate and $790.2 million globassociate. It’s poised to eventuassociate become Disney’s third 2024 free to traverse the $1 billion tag.
Elsewhere at the international box office, Universal’s “Wicked” alteration has accumulateed another $12.6 million from 81 tagets. The big-budget musical, starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, has produced $383 million domesticassociate and $571 million worldexpansive to date. It stands as the second-biggest worldexpansive Broadway reproduce after 2008’s “Mamma Mia” ($611 million).
Paramount’s “Gladiator II” bcimpolitet in $5.4 million over the weekfinish, conveying its overseas loftyy to $262.3 million. The quarter-century-in-the-making sequel to Ridley Scott’s Oscar-triumphning 2000 epic “Gladiator” has obtained $416 million globassociate, resulting in big business for movie theater owners. Yet the film won’t fight its way out of the red for Paramount, which spent more than $250 million to return to the arena.
