London
6 °C
Manchester
Glasgow
3 °C
Dublin
Belfast
8 °C
Washington
9 °C
Denver
Atlanta
Dallas
Houston Texas
20 °C
New Orleans
El Paso
Phoenix
Los Angeles
17 °C
19 °C
-31 °C
-17 °C
-22 °C
15 °C
Both 'Mufasa' and 'Sonic' claim N.America box office supremacy / Photo: © AFP
NYSE - LSE
| RYCEF | 1.29% | 15.56 | $ | |
| CMSC | 0.3% | 23.08 | $ | |
| VOD | 0.16% | 13.081 | $ | |
| RIO | -0.56% | 80.52 | $ | |
| NGG | 0.17% | 77.37 | $ | |
| SCS | 0.12% | 16.14 | $ | |
| BTI | 0.25% | 57.185 | $ | |
| GSK | 0.19% | 48.945 | $ | |
| AZN | 0.43% | 92.54 | $ | |
| CMSD | 0.13% | 23.05 | $ | |
| RELX | -0.06% | 41.105 | $ | |
| BCE | 0.63% | 22.875 | $ | |
| JRI | 0.28% | 13.448 | $ | |
| BP | -0.73% | 34.329 | $ | |
| BCC | 1.55% | 74.38 | $ | |
| RBGPF | 1.28% | 81.26 | $ |
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
G.Collins--SFF
