The third time really is the charm! Riding high on the hype surrounding Keanu Reeves’ portrayal of Shadow and Jim Carrey’s dual role as Dr. Ivo Robotnik and his grandfather, Gerald Robotnik, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 may surpass Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King during the Dec. 20–22 weekend, according to Deadline. The upcoming Sonic entry is projected to open with $55 million or more, compared to Mufasa’s $50 million+ debut.
Times have certainly changed—just 4–5 years ago, no one would have imagined the Sonic franchise outperforming Disney at the box office. This scenario is especially surprising given that the live-action remake, The Lion King (2019), grossed over $1.6 billion globally during its summer release. However, it’s worth considering the critical and audience reception of Jon Favreau’s adaptation, both of which were highly polarising. Despite being a visual spectacle, the film was criticised as a hollow and uninspired live-action tribute to the beloved 1994 animated classic.
Surprisingly, Disney has not put much effort into promoting Barry Jenkins’ Mufasa: The Lion King. However, this may change in the coming days as we approach the movie’s release on December 20.
Disney has postponed its main marketing campaign for Mufasa until after Thanksgiving, hoping that interest in the movie will build steadily in the days that follow. Their final push includes showcasing a trailer for the film before screenings of Moana 2, which premiered on Wednesday and is projected to open with $105–115 million in the U.S. and Canada.
In contrast, Paramount has little reason for concern over competing projects, as the studio has been focused on Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II, which has already grossed over $232 million globally.
Mufasa: The Lion King tells the origin story of the titular protagonist and his adoptive brother, Taka, who later becomes Scar. It stars Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Billy Eichner, Seth Rogen, Tiffany Boone, Donald Glover, Mads Mikkelsen, Thandiwe Newton, Beyonce Knowles-Carter, and more. Whereas Sonic 3 has talents like Ben Schwartz, Jim Carrey, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba, Krysten Ritter, Natasha Rothwell, Shemar Moore, James Marsden, and Tika Sumpter. Stay tuned for more updates.