Box Office Recap: January 3-5, 2025
Mufasa claims box office crown from Sonic in first weekend of 2025.
After coming up short to the beloved Sega video game hedgehog in its first two weeks, Disney’s Mufasa took advantage of the quiet openings that typically come in the first weeks of the new year and finally earned the top spot on the box office charts with a third weekend run of $20+ million. Meanwhile, Robert Eggers’s R-rated reimagining of Nosferatu crossed the $100 million milestone in just its second weekend, and 2025’s first new release, The Damned, received a limited opening, debuting just shy of $1 million.
Winning first place, Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King finished its third weekend in release with $23.84 million domestically, pushing its total domestic run to $168.60 million. Despite being dropped from 175 locations, no new competition opening helped contribute to a modest drop of only -35.2% from its prior frame, earning a per-theater average of $6,072 at 3,925 locations. Overseas, the animated musical, which serves as both a prequel and sequel to 2019’s The Lion King remake, nearly doubled its domestic run with $307.80 million for a worldwide cume of $476.40 million against a reported production budget of $200 million.
While it’s safe to say Mufasa won’t be earning anywhere close to the $1.66 billion earned by 2019’s The Lion King, it’s not a disaster for Disney either. With a hefty price tag of $200 million, Mufasa’s break even mark is roughly $450 million, which its now already crossed and will more than likely cross the half billion mark this upcoming weekend. Given that January is the quietest month of the year for new releases, combined with this film’s “A-” CinemaScore from moviegoers, Mufasa should carry on through the rest of this month with strong legs, even if entering the billion dollar club appears to be out of the question for it.
In the runner-up spot, Paramount’s Sonic the Hedgehog 3 finished with $21.20 million domestically over its third weekend in release, pushing its total domestic run to $187.51 million. Like its Christmas holiday competitor, Mufasa, it too received a modest drop of only -42.7% from its prior frame, earning a per-theater average of $5,659 at 3,746 locations. Internationally, the action-adventure comedy sequel, which is based on the iconic Sega video game character, brought in $148.80 million for a global cume of $336.31 million against a reported production budget of $122 million.
Like Mufasa, will this be entering the billion dollar club? All signs point to no. Then again, none of the Sonic movies entered that club, but considering their average production budgets of around $100 million (which is actually quite modest for a major tent-pole release nowadays), they don’t need to. And again, like Mufasa, Sonic doesn’t have to worry about any competition not named Mufasa since Paddington in Peru isn’t set for release until mid-February. So, with that in mind, as well as its near-perfect “A” CinemaScore from moviegoers, Sonic’s forecast for the month of January looks pretty bright.
Finishing in third, Focus Features’s Nosferatu took in $13.20 million domestically over its sophomore weekend, pushing its domestic total to $69.40 million. This marks a modest drop of only -39.0% from its debut frame, earning a per-theater average of $4,214 at 3,132 locations. Overseas, the Robert Eggers’s horror remake, which is based on the 1922 classic silent film of the same name, earned $30.99 million to help push its worldwide total over the $100 million milestone with $100.39 million against a reported production budget of $50 million.
Looking ahead, the lukewarm “B-” CinemaScore from viewers may not bode too well for Nosferatu, but there’s still no need for panic at Focus Features. It’s already doubled its production in just its second weekend, and has an estimated break even mark of about $125 million, which is still very much achievable, even with its unenthusiastic response from moviegoers.
In fourth place, Disney’s Moana 2 continues its impressive run with a sixth weekend domestic tally of $12.40 million, which pushes its total domestic run to $425.15 million. This marks a drop of just -34.4% from its prior frame, earning a per-theater average of $3,706 at 3,345 locations. Overseas, the animated musical, which is a sequel to 2016’s Moana, grossed $535.30 million for a worldwide cume that is narrowing in on that prestigious billion dollar club with $960.45 million against a reported production budget of $150 million.
Rounding out the top five, Universal’s Wicked earned $10.20 million domestically over its seventh weekend in release, pushing its domestic total to $450.75 million. This marks a drop of -48.4% from its prior frame, earning a per-theater average of $3,103 at 3,287 locations. Overseas, the musical fantasy film, which is based on the beloved stage musical of the same name took in $230.50 million for a global cume of $681.26 million against a reported production budget of $150 million.
Outside the top ten, in thirteenth place, Vertical’s Icelandic indie horror film The Damned debuted in 732 theaters, grossing $801.0k domestically. On the surface, that number might appear low; however, it should be remembered that the film received a limited theatrical opening, and was still able to pull in a per-theater average of $1,094, which for an indie flick is fairly respectable. It should also be noted that, though it’s presumed its production budget was low given its small scale, there is no current information on what The Damned’s budget actually was, nor is there information, as of now, on any overseas earnings. The strong critical reception could lead to positive word of mouth for it, but only time will tell.
Opening this weekend, Lionsgate will release Den of Thieves 2: Pantera, the action crime thriller sequel to 2018’s Den of Thieves starring Gerard Butler and O’Shea Jackson, Jr.
* Total estimated worldwide gross listed in parenthesis.
1) Mufasa: The Lion King – $23.84 million, Week 3 ($476.40 million)
2) Sonic the Hedgehog 3 – $21.20 million, Week 3 ($336.31 million)
3) Nosferatu – $13.20 million, Week 2 ($100.39 million)
4) Moana 2 – $12.40 million, Week 6 ($960.45 million)
5) Wicked – $10.20 million, Week 7 ($681.26 million)
6) A Complete Unknown – $8.07 million, Week 2 ($41.70 million)
7) Babygirl – $4.49 million, Week 3 ($16.19 million)
8) Gladiator II – $2.68 million, Week 7 ($449.67 million)
9) Homestead – $2.10 million, Week 3 ($17.48 million)
10) The Fire Inside – $1.23 million, Week 2 ($7.13 million)
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