Disney’sMufasa: The Lion Kinghad a concerning debut in December, but the movie appears to be making its way back at the box office as it completed nearly a month in theaters.Mufasaopened alongsideSonic the Hedgehog 3a few weeks ago, delivering almost exactly the same numbers at the domestic box office as the notorious bombJoker: Folie à Deux. But in the subsequent weeks, the movie has shown incredible legs, as itnears important milestones both domestically and worldwide.
With $169 million in stateside theaters and around $307 million from overseas markets,the film’s cumulative global haul now stands at an impressive $476 million.Mufasaserves as both a prequel and a sequel to directorJon Favreau’s 2019 remake ofThe Lion King, which grossed over $1.6 billion globally. The original hand-drawn animated classic, on the other hand, has generated nearly $1 billion worldwide, thanks tonumerous re-releasesover the years.
Directed by the Oscar-winningBarry Jenkins,Mufasais still trailing its predecessors by a considerable margin. Jenkins, who remains best-known for having directed the Best Picture-winning dramaMoonlight, has gone on the record in an interview withVultureto voice his dissatisfaction with the process of making a movie ofMufasa’s size. Produced ona reported budget of over $200 million, it’s by far the biggest project of the filmmaker’s career, and one that he didn’t have full creative control over.
‘Mufasa’ Has Been Embraced By Audiences
Like the 2019The Lion King, which used photo-realistic animation techniques to bring the Pride Lands to life,Mufasahas earnedmixed reviews. It currently sits at a “rotten” 55% approval rating on the aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, although its audience score stands at a far more positive 89%. This explains its impressive staying power at the box office, despite considerable competition. The film features the voices ofAaron PierreandKelvin Harrison Jr.as the titular character and the villainous Taka, respectively.
Mufasa: The Lion Kingis playing in theaters now. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
Mufasa: The Lion King
Simba, having become king of the Pride Lands, is determined for his cub to follow in his paw prints while the origins of his late father Mufasa are explored.
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