Paramount’s latest action-comedy, Sonic the Hedgehog 3, surged to the top of the North American box office this weekend, surpassing expectations with an estimated $62 million in ticket sales, marking one of the strongest December openings in recent years, according to industry analysts.
The latest installment featuring the blue, supersonic hedgehog, based on the popular Sega video game, benefited from positive reviews and strong audience feedback, leading to what analyst David A. Gross described as ‘an excellent opening’ for the hybrid animation/live-action genre. Gross also predicted that Sonic 3 would “far out-earn Sonic #2,” which grossed $405 million globally in 2022. The film stars Jim Carrey as the villainous Dr. Ivo Robotnik, with Ben Schwartz voicing Sonic and Keanu Reeves voicing Shadow.
Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King, a prequel to The Lion King, took second place with $35 million for the Friday-to-Sunday period, according to Exhibitor Relations. This fell short of the expected $50 million, particularly given the film’s hefty $300 million production and promotional budget. Despite the lower-than-expected opening, Gross anticipates a “very good run” for the film, especially with children now on year-end school vacations in North America. The voice cast includes Aaron Pierre as Mufasa, Seth Rogen, Beyoncé, and Donald Glover (aka Childish Gambino), with music by Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Universal’s Wicked, the first part of a two-part adaptation of the Broadway hit, earned another $13.5 million, slipping to third place. The film has grossed over $570 million globally and stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande.
Moana 2, which broke records during its Thanksgiving weekend release, dropped to fourth place with an estimated $13.1 million in ticket sales. The Disney sequel has grossed over $790 million worldwide, with Auli’i Cravalho returning as the voice of the titular character and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson voicing the demigod Maui.
In fifth place was Homestead, a post-apocalyptic thriller from Angel Studios, which earned $6.1 million. The film, starring Neal McDonough and Dawn Olivieri, tells the story of a family seeking refuge in the mansion of an eccentric survivalist following a nuclear attack.
The top 10 films for the weekend included:
- Gladiator II – $4.5 million
- Kraven the Hunter – $3.1 million
- Red One – $1.5 million
- The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim – $1.3 million
- The Best Christmas Pageant Ever – $825,000
