Did Mufasa: The Lion King beat Sonic the Hedgehog 3? It led the five-day Christmas frame in estimates reported Dec. 29, 2024, but Sonic remained No. 1 for the conventional Friday–Sunday weekend. The answer depends on which dates are counted.
Who won the five-day Christmas frame?
Mufasa: The Lion King had the edge over Sonic the Hedgehog 3 across the five-day Christmas period, according to estimates reported on Dec. 29, 2024. The Associated Press put Mufasa at $63.8 million for that frame. Variety reported $63.9 million for Mufasa and $59.8 million for Sonic. These are outlet-reported estimates, so the figures should be kept attributed rather than combined.
![The Lion King/Mufasa: The Lion King 2-Movie Collection [Blu-Ray, Region Free, 2-Disc Set]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51gwZjxv-VL._SL160_.jpg)
The totals cover the extended holiday frame, not just Friday through Sunday. Holiday dates can shift moviegoing across the week; as Comscore senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian put it in the AP report, “Every day was like Saturday at the box office because of the way the holidays lined up.”
Who led the Dec. 27–29 weekend?
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 led the standard three-day weekend. The AP reported weekend estimates of $38 million for Sonic and $37.1 million for Mufasa. Box Office Mojo’s domestic chart for Dec. 27–29 likewise ranked Sonic first and Mufasa second, listing the following grosses:
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#1 Best Overall
- Follow the epic tale of the unlikely rise of the Pride Lands? beloved king. An orphaned Mufasa is lost and alone until he meets Taka, heir to a royal bloodline. This launches an epic journey that tests the pair?s bonds as they evade a deadly foe.
| Film | Domestic gross, Dec. 27–29 | Box Office Mojo ranking |
|---|---|---|
| Sonic the Hedgehog 3 | $37,010,506 | 1 |
| Mufasa: The Lion King | $36,804,122 | 2 |
The AP’s rounded estimates and Box Office Mojo’s listed chart totals are separate reports. Both show Sonic ahead during Friday–Sunday; neither conflicts with Mufasa leading the longer Christmas frame.
How did the films compare at opening?
Both films opened on Dec. 20, 2024. The AP reported studio estimates of $62 million for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and $35 million for Mufasa: The Lion King over the Dec. 20–22 domestic opening weekend. That gives useful context: Sonic opened ahead, while the later five-day holiday comparison favored Mufasa.
Rank #2
What the box-office result does—and does not—show
The headline depends on the reporting window: Mufasa led the five-day Christmas frame, while Sonic led the Dec. 27–29 weekend and had the larger opening weekend. These domestic grosses do not establish either film’s profitability; the cited figures do not provide the cost and revenue information needed to determine that.
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Disney’s official film information lists Mufasa: The Lion King in Blu-ray/DVD and 4K UHD/Blu-ray formats. Disney’s cited Japanese product listing gives an April 23, 2025 release date; formats and release availability may vary by marketplace.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Follow the epic tale of the unlikely rise of the Pride Lands? beloved king. An orphaned Mufasa is lost and alone until he meets Taka, heir to a royal bloodline. This launches an epic journey that tests the pair?s bonds as they evade a deadly foe.
Rank #4
![Disney's Mufasa: The Lion King [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51jiT3YINiL._SL160_.jpg)
- Family, animation, adventure
Rank #3
![The Lion King Doublepack [Blu-ray] [2019] [Region Free]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51hyeYwI9qL._SL160_.jpg)
- The Lion King Doublepack
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