Both 'Mufasa' and 'Sonic' claim N.America box office supremacy / Photo: MARCO LONGARI - AFP
NYSE - LSE
| RBGPF | 1.54% | 79 | $ | |
| RYCEF | -2.68% | 13.83 | $ | |
| CMSC | -0.39% | 23.32 | $ | |
| CMSD | -0.13% | 23.29 | $ | |
| SCS | 0.55% | 16.38 | $ | |
| RIO | 0.03% | 71.97 | $ | |
| VOD | -2.8% | 12.13 | $ | |
| NGG | -0.61% | 75.65 | $ | |
| RELX | -1.23% | 39.72 | $ | |
| GSK | -1.42% | 47.19 | $ | |
| BTI | -0.91% | 58.13 | $ | |
| AZN | -2.44% | 90.52 | $ | |
| BCE | -0.09% | 23.49 | $ | |
| BCC | -1.18% | 75.13 | $ | |
| BP | 1.12% | 36.51 | $ | |
| JRI | -0.15% | 13.78 | $ |
Both 'Mufasa' and 'Sonic' claim N.America box office supremacy
The holiday weekend in North America saw two films battling for box-office supremacy and both emerging with a claim to first place.
Disney's animated drama "Mufasa: The Lion King" prevailed in the five days from Christmas Day through Sunday with an estimated take of $63.8 million, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported Sunday.
But Paramount's action comedy "Sonic the Hedgehog 3," which booked $59.9 million for that same five-day holiday period, came out on top for the traditional Friday-through-Sunday stretch, edging the Disney film by $38 million to $37.1 million.
Overall, the weekend generated "big, although not record-breaking box office" numbers, said analyst David A. Gross, adding that "the next seven days should be excellent."
New vampire pic "Nosferatu" from Focus Features also posted impressive numbers, with $40.3 million for the five-day period and $21.2 million for the three-day weekend.
Gross called that "an excellent opening for a new horror film" -- a remake of the 1922 silent classic inspired by the 1897 novel "Dracula" -- and noted that critics' reviews are outstanding.
The ensemble cast includes Bill Skarsgard, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Willem Dafoe and Nicholas Hoult.
Universal's musical fantasy "Wicked," starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, earned $31.7 million for five days ($19.5 million for three) as the latest spin on the magical world of Oz slipped one spot to fourth place. Its global earnings now stand at $634 million.
And Disney's animated "Moana 2" had an estimated $28.3 million in ticket sales for five days ($18.2 million for three), slipping one spot but holding on to top-five status for the fifth straight week.
Meantime, Searchlight Pictures' "A Complete Unknown," with Timothee Chalamet portraying an enigmatic Bob Dylan during the dizzying years that propelled the singer-songwriter from anonymity to world fame, took in a solid $23.3 million for five days ($11.6 million for three). Dylan himself has described Chalamet as a "brilliant actor."
Rounding out the top 10 were:
"Babygirl" ($7.2 million for five days, $4.4 million for three)
"Gladiator II" ($5.9 million; $4.2 million)
"Homestead" ($5.3 million; $3.2 million)
"The Fire Inside" ($4.3 million; $2 million)
bbk/md
M.Trapani--JdM
