Sonic 3, Mufasa battle for No. 1 at holiday box office

Family Films Rule the Holiday Box Office

This holiday season, two family-friendly films captured the attention of moviegoers, with “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” edging out “Mufasa” by a narrow margin at the box office.

Paramount’s “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” raked in $38 million, while Disney’s “Mufasa” brought in $37.1 million over the weekend in the U.S. and Canada. When considering the five-day earnings, “Mufasa” took the lead with a total of $63.8 million.

The success of these films was further bolstered by the ongoing popularity of “Wicked” and “Moana 2,” which have been attracting audiences for several weeks now.

In a surprising turn of events, the vampire horror film “Nosferatu” made a strong debut at the box office. The modern retelling of the classic silent film earned $21.2 million over the weekend and $40.3 million in its first five days of release.

Despite the risk of opening on Christmas Day, “Nosferatu” managed to appeal to a wide audience, particularly the 18 to 34-year-old demographic. The film’s unconventional release strategy paid off, drawing in viewers during the holiday season.

The Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown” and the erotic drama “Babygirl” also made waves at the box office, earning $11.6 million and $4.4 million respectively over the weekend.

While “The Fire Inside” struggled to find its footing among the holiday releases, Thanksgiving hits like “Wicked” and “Moana 2” continued to perform well, with the former nearing $425 million in domestic earnings.

Christmas Day saw a significant boost in ticket sales, with Thursday following suit with $50 million in earnings. Despite a slight dip in overall box office receipts compared to the previous year, the industry is projected to end the year with around $8.75 billion in domestic revenue.

The diversity of films and the success of both family-friendly and genre offerings highlight the resilience of the theatrical landscape, setting the stage for a promising year ahead in cinema.