Sonic the Hedgehog proved to be the best beast at the box office, beating out the latest Lion King offering by a wide margin.
Sonic The Hedgehog 3 raced to the top, earning $62 million in its first weekend in theaters Box Office Mojo.
In this latest chapter, Sonic, Knuckles and Tails reunite against their powerful new opponent, Shadow, voiced by newcomer Keanu Reeves.
To defeat him, the trio must team up with Dr. Jim Carrey’s Robotnik in an unlikely alliance.
The animated-live-action hybrid, based on the hit video game, has been a winner with critics and fans alike, earning an 86 percent fresh rating from critics and a near-perfect 98 percent rating from moviegoers. Rotten Tomatoes.
Mufasa: The Lion King followed in a distant second place.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 rocketed to the top, earning $62 million in its first weekend in theaters, according to Box Office Mojo
The computer-animated story is a prequel to the 1994 Academy Award-winning film The Lion King. It focuses on Simba’s father, Mufasa, and earned $35 million in ticket sales.
That was just a fraction of what the 2019 computer-generated Lion King remake grossed in its opening weekend, and a far cry from the film’s reported budget of more than $200 million.
Critics weren’t crazy about the latest franchise offering and the most prestigious critics surveyed Rotten Tomatoes gave it only a poor score of 35 percent.
However, the public was much more enthusiastic and awarded it a new rating of 89 percent.
Wicked stayed strong in third place and managed to land a $13.5 million payday this weekend.
The musical starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande could see a big boost in ticket sales when sing-along versions of the musical hit theaters on Christmas Day.
“These sing-along screenings offer fans a unique opportunity to be part of the story they have so enthusiastically embraced,” said Jim Orr, president of domestic theatrical distribution for Universal Studios, in a press release.
“There is something extraordinarily special about experiencing this beloved musical together as a community, and we are thrilled to create that opportunity this holiday season.”
The computer-animated Mufasa: The Lion King debuted in second place and grossed $35 million
Wicked held strong in third place, earning $13.5 million over the weekend. The film could get a big boost at the box office if sing-along versions of the musical are released on Christmas Day
Moana 2 was knocked out of the top spot, but sailed neatly into fourth place, earning $13.1 million for the animated adventure starring Dwayne Johnson and Auli’i Cravalho.
Moana 2 was knocked out of the top spot, but sailed along nicely in fourth place, earning $13.1 million for the animated adventure starring Dwayne Johnson and Auli’i Cravalho.
Homestead, the latest entry from faith-based Angel Studios, debuted at number five.
Set in an apocalyptic near future, the story stars Bailey Chase as a former Green Beret who joins a prep complex where he finds community amid the chaos of a torn country.
The film was shown in some 1,600 theaters and earned $6 million despite poor reviews from critics.
The film served as a pilot for an upcoming series to be streamed via the Angel Studios app.
Gladiator II dropped out of the top five, landing in sixth place with $4.45 million.
The historical drama starring Paul Mescal as the title character has struggled to gain a foothold at the US box office amid massive competition from Wicked: Part 1 and Moana 2, but has established itself globally, to date with a total worldwide of $406.5 million earned.
The increased competition caused Kraven: The Hunter to drop from third to seventh place during its second weekend in theaters.
Homestead debuted in fifth place with a $6 million payday. Bailey Chase as a former Green Beret who joins a prep complex where he finds community amid the chaos of a torn country in the near-future apocalyptic thriller
Gladiator II dropped out of the top five, landing in sixth place and earning $4.45 million. The film has done extremely well internationally with a worldwide total of $406.5 million to date
The increased competition caused Kraven: The Hunter to drop from third to seventh place during its second weekend in theaters. The action-adventure grossed $3.1 million in ticket sales
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim dropped to eighth place and experienced a 70% drop in ticket sales, grossing a modest $1.27 million
The best Christmas pageant ever continues to find an audience this holiday season. The family friend film, based on the classic children’s book, grossed $825,000 this weekend
Daniel Craig’s turn in Queer landed in 10th place and earned $364,220 in ticket sales
Aaron Taylor-Johnson stars as the muscular title character whose quest for revenge makes him the world’s greatest hunter.
The action-adventure earned $3.1 million in ticket sales, and many critics attributed its failure to the focus on a Spider-Man villain without the webslinger playing a role.
The Lord of the Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim dropped to eighth place after two weeks in theaters.
The animated adventure suffered a dramatic 72 percent drop in ticket sales, earning a modest $1.27 million.
The best Christmas pageant ever continues to find an audience this holiday season. The family friend film, based on the classic children’s book, grossed $825,000 this weekend.
Daniel Craig’s turn in Queer landed in 10th place.
The drama about an American ex-pat living a lonely life quickly changes when he meets a young student who has raked in $364,220 in ticket sales.