Mufasa keeps rolling at the box office. The prequel to the 1994 and 2019 classic The Lion King has resonated with audiences, keeping pace with many of the big films currently in theaters. As the calendar turns to 2025, Disney hopes the film can continue its momentum. The good news is January is not known for being a time for many movie releases. This means that moviegoers have to choose from the existing releases. Disney’s prequel has been getting good reviews, and many people have been watching the film during the holiday season. In the first weekend of 2025, Mufasa took the top spot at the box office, raking in another $23.8 million.
Mufasa Wins Opening Weekend Of The Year
While the Sonic franchise has officially crossed the $1 billion mark, it was Mufasa who won the weekend. Sonic 3 was a close second with $21.2 million, and Robert Eggers Nosferatu kept up its strong performance with another $13.2 million. Disney has to be happy with the movie’s performance. It has now grossed $168.6 million domestically and has a global total of $476.4 million. This wasn’t the only movie from the studio to do well at the box office this weekend. Moana 2 was fourth with $12.4 million as it approaches the $1 billion mark worldwide.
These are promising box office numbers for Hollywood in general. After the Covid-19 pandemic, studios have struggled to attract people to the theaters. This holiday season was the first time a wide variety of movies were able to have strong numbers beyond opening weekend. All of the top four grossing movies this weekend have had strong performances. It is still nowhere near where the pre-pandemic numbers were, but it is a start.
Strong 2024 For Disney
The Walt Disney Company is hoping to keep its momentum going from 2024. It was a banner year for the studio. Inside Out 2 grossed $1.78 billion, making it the highest-grossing PG-rated movie of all time. Marvel Studios has been struggling lately, but Deadpool & Wolverine broke the streak of disappointing box office numbers. It earned $1.34 billion, becoming the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time. The records didn’t stop there. The aforementioned Moana 2 set the record for the biggest Thanksgiving weekend ever with $225 million.
In total, the company raked in $5.46 billion in box office sales last year. This year, the studio hopes to build on those numbers. Marvel Studios will release three highly anticipated films in Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts*, and Fantastic Four: First Steps. Snow White and Lilo & Stitch are getting the live-action treatment in 2025. Zootopia 2 and Avatar: Fire and Ash are the most anticipated sequels. That is a strong lineup, so don’t be surprised if we see similar numbers at the box office in 2025.
Final Thoughts
I have to admit I was wrong about Mufasa. I thought this movie would flop hard, but fans have loved it. It goes to show that movies with strong characters and storytelling are always popular with audiences. Fans have praised the development of Mufasa and Scar as characters. There are not many new movies coming in the next few weeks. This film may have more opportunities gross more money and possibly cross the $500 million mark.
