“Sonic the Hedgehog 3” kicked off its North American opening with $25 million, taking the lead at the box office. The film played at 3,761 locations on Friday, including previews. In comparison, Disney’s “Mufasa: The Lion King” earned $13.3 million from 4,100 theaters, placing it in second.
Despite expectations of a close race between these two family-friendly films, “Sonic 3” raced ahead. Its debut is close to the $26 million opening day for “Sonic 2” in 2022 and could surpass earlier projections of $55-$60 million for opening weekend. With schools on break and families looking for entertainment, the $122 million production is well-positioned for success. Audiences are loving it, giving the film an A CinemaScore rating.
Directed by Jeff Fowler, “Sonic 3” brings back fan favorites like Ben Schwartz as Sonic, Colleen O’Shaughnessey as Tails, and Idris Elba as Knuckles. The movie introduces Shadow the Hedgehog (voiced by Keanu Reeves) and sees Jim Carrey return as Dr. Robotnik.
Meanwhile, “Mufasa” is hoping for a boost during the holidays. The $200 million film, directed by Barry Jenkins, serves as a prequel to the 2019 “Lion King” remake. Although audiences gave it an A- rating, it trails far behind the original’s massive $191 million opening. Disney is banking on international markets to drive profits.
“Moana 2” continues its strong run, earning $3 million on Friday and surpassing $350 million in North America. It may overtake “Despicable Me 4” soon, climbing to the year’s fourth-highest-grossing film.
In fifth place is “Homestead,” a faith-based drama that earned $2.8 million on Friday, with an expected $5 million weekend total.
