The latest claims from Disney regarding the success of Mufasa: The Lion King have sparked a heated debate, especially in light of its competition with Sonic the Hedgehog 3 at the box office. While it’s not uncommon for two major films to clash at the box office, this battle between Disney’s new release and the highly anticipated Sonic 3 has been particularly intense.
Initially, Sonic 3 had a strong opening, surpassing Mufasa: The Lion King in early box office numbers. However, as the Christmas weekend unfolded, Disney experienced a surge in ticket sales, particularly from December 27 to December 29. This boost led Disney to make a bold claim that Mufasa had claimed the top spot at both the U.S. and global box offices.
To celebrate this achievement, Walt Disney Studios took to social media, posting: “#Mufasa: The Lion King is now the #1 movie in America, and the #1 movie in the world, two weeks in a row! See it now, only in theaters!” This statement, however, quickly faced backlash. IMDb’s U.S. box office chart attached a community note disputing Disney’s claims, stating: “That’s not true. Sonic 3 is still the #1 movie in America.”
Despite the controversy, Disney’s claim about Mufasa’s success is not entirely unfounded. While Sonic 3 did have a strong showing in the five-day period from December 25 to December 29, it seems that the community note was misleading, as it has since been removed.
As of now, Mufasa: The Lion King has earned $327.9 million globally, far surpassing Sonic 3, which has grossed $211.5 million worldwide. This performance solidifies Mufasa’s dominance at the global box office, even though Sonic 3 initially led during the holiday period.
In conclusion, while Disney’s claims were initially met with criticism, the facts now support Mufasa: The Lion King as the top-performing film at the global box office, making its success all the more notable in the face of fierce competition.