Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King outperformed Paramount’s Sonic the Hedgehog 3 at the international box office, solidifying its global dominance. While both films competed strongly during the holiday season, Mufasa leveraged its international appeal to pull ahead of Sonic 3 in worldwide earnings. However, the Jim Carrey film won the domestic box office battle.
Sonic 3 wins second box office weekend against Mufasa
According to Deadline, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 narrowly topped the domestic box office over the weekend with a $38 million three-day total, slightly surpassing Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King, which earned $37 million. However, when factoring in the extended five-day window, Mufasa outpaced Sonic with $63.7 million compared to Sonic’s $59.9 million.
As reported by Box Office Mojo, Sonic 3 has reached $137.55 million domestically in its second week of release, benefiting from its appeal to families and franchise fans. In comparison, Mufasa achieved $111.4 million domestically during the same period, reflecting strong international support, which contributed to its $327.98 million worldwide total.
Mufasa: The Lion King reigns supreme at global box office
Globally, Mufasa: The Lion King emerged as the stronger performer, thanks to its international success, as highlighted by Box Office Mojo. With 65.4% of its earnings coming from overseas markets, Mufasa eclipsed Sonic 3’s $211.55 million global total. This strong international performance showcases Disney’s sustained dominance in global animation markets.
Deadline reports that both films gained from the holiday release schedule, drawing family audiences and facing minimal competition. The holiday box office for December 20–26 totaled $263 million, though it declined 6% compared to last year.
Sonic 3 led the domestic weekend box office, while Mufasa: The Lion King excelled globally due to strong international performance. As noted by Deadline and Box Office Mojo, family films played a key role in boosting the holiday box office, with both titles contributing significantly to the $263 million total.
