Box Office: ‘Mufasa’ Crosses $500 Million Globally, ‘Moana 2’ Nears $1 Billion Mark

Two Disney tentpoles, “Mufasa: The Lion King” and “Moana 2,” are crossing major box office milestones.

“Mufasa” has surpassed $500 million globally after four weeks of release, while “Moana 2” is poised to swim past the $1 billion mark with ticket sales currently at $989.9 million.

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“The Lion King” prequel led the pack again at the global box office over the weekend $41 million, including $27.9 million from 52 international markets. After a rough start around Christmas, the photorealistic musical adventure about the future leader of Pride Lands has rebounded, with revenues at $540 million to date. Outside of the United States and Canada, where “Mufasa” has generated $189 million, the top-earning territories are France ($33.7 million), the United Kingdom ($29.9 million), Mexico ($24.6 million) and Germany ($24 million). The film cost above $200 million to produce, though, so Disney needs “Mufasa” to continue stampeding through theaters to justify its mega price tag.

“Moana 2,” which opened ahead of Thanksgiving, brought in $11.1 million overseas and $17.6 million globally over the weekend. The animated sequel, which was developed for streaming before pivoting to cinemas, will eventually be Disney’s third 2024 release to join the billion-dollar club following “Inside Out 2” and “Deadpool & Wolverine.” Those outsized ticket sales likely mean a third adventure with the plucky wayfinder won’t be too far on the horizon.

Elsewhere at the international box office, “Nosferatu” collected $13.7 million internationally and $20.5 million globally over the weekend. The “Dracula” remake of sorts, starring Bill Skarsgård as Count Orlok along with Lily-Rose Depp and Nicholas Hoult, has generated $53 million abroad and an impressive $135 million globally to date.

Meanwhile, Paramount’s “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” added $20.3 million from 62 international markets and $31.3 million worldwide over the weekend. The animated threequel opened in China, where it flopped with $1.8 million. Luckily, the blue speedster has been a hit almost everywhere else, with grosses at $384 million after four weekends of release.

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