Sonic the Hedgehog 3 has raced to the top of the box office in one country, beating Mufasa: The Lion King – however, there’s a reason Disney’s ‘live-action’ prequel appears to be dominating cinemas overseas.
Sonic 3 has arrived at a competitive time. Not only is it going up against Mufasa (a follow-up to one of the highest-grossing movies of all time), it has to contend with the popularity of Wicked, Moana 2, and Kraven the Hunter (just kidding), and Nosferatu, Babygirl, and A Complete Unknown are about to hit cinemas.
Its predecessors were bona fide hits, but not enormous performers; 2020’s Sonic the Hedgehog made $320 million worldwide, while its sequel grossed $405m.
Going by its opening weekend, Sonic 3 could have long legs through the holiday season – and it may even beat Mufasa by the end of its run.
Sonic 3 box office so far
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 has grossed $63.3 million worldwide, with $62m coming from the US alone. It’s currently the number one movie in the US, beating Mufasa: The Lion King’s $35m opening weekend.
That’s an extraordinary accomplishment for Sonic. Its domestic projections were initially higher, but Deadline reports that the festive season may be to blame for its slight under-performance (it was the last weekend before Christmas, so people were probably spending more time shopping). Also, experts originally predicted a $50m weekend for the threequel, so it’s still done well.
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It didn’t beat Sonic 2’s opening weekend ($72.1m), but it could rake in as much as $290 million in North America by the end of its theatrical run, which would be a franchise record.
Why Mufasa is still beating Sonic 3 at the box office
Mufasa: The Lion King has already made $122 million worldwide, almost double Sonic 3’s global haul. However, there’s a simple reason: Mufasa has been released everywhere, while Sonic 3 hasn’t hit cinemas in several countries yet.
Mufasa opened in France on December 18, trickling into other territories over the following two days. Meanwhile, Sonic 3 hit the US, Canada, and Norway on December 20, the UK and Ireland on December 21, and it’ll expand into Europe, Asia, and Australia between now and January 17, 2025.
In other words, its theatrical run is a marathon, not a sprint. Mufasa will likely maintain bookings through the holidays, but Sonic 3 could build serious momentum overseas.
Check out our Sonic 3 ending explained, find out how the movie changes Shadow and Maria’s story, and read our interview with Sonic 3’s director, who addressed whether or not Sonic 4 will be based on Sonic Heroes.