Holiday Box Office Sees Fierce Movie Competition

Box Office Showdown: Holiday Weekend Winners

Two major movies competed for box office dominance in North America over the holiday weekend.
Disney’s “Mufasa: The Lion King” earned $63.8 million over five days (Christmas to Sunday).
Paramount’s “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” led the traditional Friday-to-Sunday period with $37.1 million.

Disney’s animated drama “Mufasa: The Lion King” came out on top for the extended five-day holiday period, raking in an impressive $63.8 million. However, for the shorter three-day stretch, “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” edged ahead with $37.1 million, compared to Mufasa’s $38 million over the same timeframe.

Analyst David A. Gross noted that while the weekend didn’t set records, it still delivered strong box-office results, with expectations for the coming week looking equally promising.

Highlights from the Weekend

The vampire thriller “Nosferatu” from Focus Features had an excellent debut, earning $40.3 million over five days and $21.2 million for the three-day weekend. Critics have praised this remake of the 1922 horror classic, which features a star-studded cast, including Bill Skarsgard and Willem Dafoe.

Universal’s musical fantasy “Wicked”, starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, brought in $31.7 million for five days and $19.5 million for three. Its total global earnings have now reached $634 million.

Disney’s “Moana 2” secured $28.3 million for five days ($18.2 million for three), maintaining its place in the top five for the fifth week in a row.

Meanwhile, Searchlight Pictures’ “A Complete Unknown”, starring Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan, earned a solid $23.3 million over five days ($11.6 million for three).

To round off the top 10: