Despite having debuted in December, Disney’sMufasa: The Lion Kingis still retaining spots in the top 10 of the box office charts. The movie opened alongsideSonic the Hedgehog 3in a much-hyped face-off, but has long since overtaken it both domestically and worldwide. In fact,Mufasais now available to watch at home on digital streaming platforms, but that didn’t seem to stop audiences from making trips to theaters, perhaps to experience it one last time this weekend.Mufasarecently passed the $700 million mark at the global box office, and is looking to conclude its run in the next week or two.
The moviewill probably pass the $250 million mark domesticallybefore it taps out for good; its current domestic haul stands at $248 million. Internationally, the film has accumulated nearly $455 million so far, fora cumulative global haul of $702 million.Mufasahad a slow start, but it built up pace across the holidays despite facing direct competition, not just fromSonic 3, but also fromMoana 2,Wicked, and more recently,Paddington in PeruandDog Man. It goes to show just how evergreen the franchise is. But despite its relative success, the movie fell drastically short of its predecessor.
Released in 2019,The Lion Kingremake made $1.6 billion globally against a reported production budget of over $250 million and mixed reviews. The critical response toMufasawasn’t all that better. It appears to have settled at a “rotten” 58% on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, with Collider’sAidan Kelleywritingin his reviewthat the movie “struggles to justify its existence in the creative sense.“Mufasaserves as both a prequel and a sequel toThe Lion King, which was helmed byJon Favreau.
‘Mufasa’ Trails a Trio of Disney’s 2024 Hits
Directed by the Oscar-winnerBarry Jenkins, who remains best known for having made the Best Picture winnerMoonlight,Mufasatells the story of how the titular lion became the king of the Pride Lands, and how he fell out with his “brother” Taka. Produced ona reported budget of $200 million, the movie wasn’t able to replicate the level of success that three other Disney releases achieved in 2024.Inside Out 2,Deadpool & Wolverine, andMoana 2all crossed the coveted $1 billion milestone at the global box office, and contributed majorly to the Mouse House hitting $5 billion in combined revenue for the year. You can watchMufasaat home, and 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.
