Disney’s animated drama “Mufasa: The Lion King” prevailed in the five days from Christmas Day through Sunday with an estimated take of US$63.8 million, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported Sunday.
But Paramount’s action comedy “Sonic the Hedgehog 3,” which booked US$59.9 million for that same five-day holiday period, came out on top for the traditional Friday-through-Sunday stretch, edging the Disney film by US$38 million to US$37.1 million.
Overall, the weekend generated “big, although not record-breaking box office” numbers, said analyst David A Gross, adding that “the next seven days should be excellent.”
New vampire pic “Nosferatu” from Focus Features also posted impressive numbers, with $40.3 million for the five-day period and US$21.2 million for the three-day weekend.
Gross called that “an excellent opening for a new horror film” – a remake of the 1922 silent classic inspired by the 1897 novel “Dracula” – and noted that critics’ reviews are outstanding.
The ensemble cast includes Bill Skarsgard, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Willem Dafoe and Nicholas Hoult.
Universal’s musical fantasy “Wicked,” starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, earned US$31.7 million for five days (US$19.5 million for three) as the latest spin on the magical world of Oz slipped one spot to fourth place. Its global earnings now stand at US$634 million.
And Disney’s animated “Moana 2” had an estimated US$28.3 million in ticket sales for five days (US$18.2 million for three), slipping one spot but holding on to top-five status for the fifth straight week.
Meantime, Searchlight Pictures’ “A Complete Unknown,” with Timothee Chalamet portraying an enigmatic Bob Dylan during the dizzying years that propelled the singer-songwriter from anonymity to world fame, took in a solid US$23.3 million for five days (US$11.6 million for three). Dylan himself has described Chalamet as a “brilliant actor.”
Rounding out the top 10 were:
- “Babygirl” (US$7.2 million for five days, US$4.4 million for three)
- “Gladiator II” (US$5.9 million; US$4.2 million)
- “Homestead” (US$5.3 million; $US3.2 million)
- “The Fire Inside” (US$4.3 million; US$2 million)