Mufasa: The Lion Kinghas passed a major box office milestone, cementing it as a 2024 hit. The movie is a photorealistic CG-animated prequel to 2019’sThe Lion King. It follows the future king Mufasa (Aaron Pierre) and the formation of the rivalry between him and his adopted brother Taka (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), later known as Scar. Although the original movie opened with $191.8 million and grossed more than $1 billion, theMufasaopening weekendcame in well below expectations at the domestic box office with just $35.4 million, taking No. 2 behindSonic the Hedgehog 3.
PerVariety,Mufasa: The Lion Kinghas now risen to a total of $328 million worldwideafter just nine days in theaters. Although its global debut also came in below its original projections, this swift surge past the $300 million milestone sees the prequel movie cementing itself as one of the biggest hits of the year so far. It has raced pastSonic(which just passed the $200 million milestone), becoming the 18th movie to make more than $300 million in 2024 and surpassingThe Wild Robot’s $324.2 million to become the 17th highest-grossing movie of the year so far.
What This Means For Mufasa: The Lion King
It Could Become One Of The Best Of The Year
It seems that theMufasa: The Lion Kingreleaseis following a trend that has struck many holiday season hits of having a lukewarm opening but legging out to a solid worldwide total by the end of its theatrical run. Particularly for titles released the weekend before Christmas,the holiday season lends itself to sleeper hitsfor a variety of reasons, including an influx of titles in the marketplace, school and family vacations allowing for more theatergoing, and more. Below, see a breakdown of select recent holiday season hits and how well they fared compared to their domestic opening weekends:
$8.8 million
$469 million
$36.2 million
$962.5 million
$12.4 million
$299.8 million
Anyone But You(2023)
$6 million
$220.3 million
Even though it is so far following this growth pattern,Mufasawill probably not be able to hit the $1.66 billion total of theDisney live-action remaketo which it is a follow-up. However, given the fact that it has a similar broad family appeal as 2017’sJumanji: Welcome to the Jungleand had a more or less equal opening weekend,it could potentially climb over $900 million worldwideby the end of its run. This would make it one of the Top 4 highest-grossing movies of the year alongside titles includingDeadpool & WolverineandInside Out 2.
Our Take On The Mufasa: The Lion King Milestone
Disney Has Added Another Hit To Their 2024 Lineup
After Disney had a string of theatrical disappointments in 2023 includingAnt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,Haunted Mansion,The Marvels, andWish, the company has turned things around in 2024 with record-breaking hits such asDeadpool & Wolverine,Inside Out 2,Moana 2, andAlien: Romulus. Whileat first it seemed thatMufasawould ruin their streak, its current trajectory cements 2024 as the year of the company’s triumphant theatrical comeback.
Mufasa: The Lion King
Cast
Mufasa: The Lion King explores the origins of the beloved character Mufasa, focusing on his youth as a lost cub who encounters Taka, a royal heir. Their meeting initiates an epic journey of self-discovery and destiny, featuring a group of misfit companions navigating the challenges of their world.
