Disney’s highly anticipated Mufasa: The Lion King has stumbled in its global debut, garnering $33 million from international box office sales over its first three days.
Combined with domestic earnings, the film is projected to close the weekend with a $125 million worldwide total—a significant drop from pre-weekend expectations of $180 million.
Domestically, Disney’s highly Mufasa: The Lion King faces stiff competition, particularly from Paramount’s Sonic the Hedgehog 3, which is generating buzz ahead of its international release next weekend.
For now, Disney’s latest prequel enjoys an open playing field in offshore markets, but its performance has been underwhelming.
Despite its subdued start, Disney’s highly Mufasa: The Lion King has outperformed last year’s holiday release, Wonka, by 28% during the same period. It also matches the opening figures of Disney’s Aladdin, which ultimately enjoyed a long box office run.
Industry analysts are hopeful that Mufasa may find similar longevity, especially as holiday distractions wane and more family audiences become available.
The movie has managed to secure the No. 1 spot for non-local films in all its release markets, although it trails behind a Korean movie in South Korea during its second week.
Top markets for the film include Mexico ($3.3 million), France ($3 million), and the UK, Brazil, and Germany, each contributing $2 million.
In China, Disney’s Mufasa is projected to achieve $8 million by the end of Sunday. While these figures are far below the record-breaking numbers of the 2019 Lion King, they may still be sufficient to claim the weekend’s top spot in that market.
The movie’s future performance will largely depend on its ability to sustain momentum in the coming weeks, especially with upcoming family-oriented releases such as Disney’s Moana 2 and Universal’s Wicked on the horizon. For now, Disney hopes the allure of Simba’s origin story will eventually roar louder at the box office.