'Sonic the Hedgehog 3' has powered to the top of box office charts while 'Mufasa: The Lion King' is getting trampled in its first weekend of release.
Paramount’s third “Sonic” adventure has opened at No. 1 with USD$62 million from 3,761 North American theaters.
The film beat initial expectations of USD$55 million to USD$60 million and looks to remain a holiday hit through the new year.
'Sonic the Hedgehog 3' was tracking for a trilogy-low start but instead opened above the original 2020 “Sonic the Hedgehog” ($58 million in February) and just below the 2022 sequel (a series-best $72 million in March).
Disney’s “The Lion King” prequel “Mufasa” trotted behind in second place with $35 million from 4,100 cinemas, falling way behind pre-release expectations of $50 million.
It’s a terrible start for a tentpole that cost above $200 million to produce and roughly $100 million to promote across the globe.
