411 Box Office Report: Nosferatu Starts Strong, Sonic The Hedgehog 3 & Mufasa Lead Weekend

Nosferatu got off to a strong start at the box office this weekend, while Sonic The Hedgehog 3 & Mufasa claimed the top spots. Sonic 3 had the edge over the three-day weekend with $38 million, down just 37% from last weekend’s impressive start. The film had good numbers throughout the holiday week with a $59.9 million five-day total from Wednesday to Sunday and now stands at $136.9 million domestically and $210.9 million worldwide, great numbers for a $122 million-budgeted film.

As it stands, Sonic 3 is right within striking distance of the first Sonic’s $146.1 million domestic total and will easily pass that in short order. It is looking likely for around $200 million domestically which would make it the highest-grossing entry in the franchise (Sonic 2 totaled out at $190.9 million). Paramount is very happy with the results here.

The bigger story, however, is Mufasa: The Lion King’s resurrection. After a disappointing start last weekend, the sequel brought in $37.1 million over three days, which was up 5% from last weekend’s opening weekend. Even bigger, the film topped Sonic for the five-day total with $63.7 million.

These are the kinds of numbers that Disney needed for this film and is this year’s big illustration of how you cannot underestimate the importance of the holiday week to the box office. Suddenly, Mufasa looks like it might break even and maybe even make a little profit if the numbers continue to stay strong as it has $113.5 million domestically (already three times its opening weekend) and $328 million worldwide against a $200 million production budget. It should top $150 million stateside without too much issue.

Robert Eggers had the biggest start of his career with Nosferatu, which came in at #3 for the three-day and five-day weekends. The remake of the horror classic scored $21.2 million over the three-day weekend and $40.3 million over five. That’s the writer-director’s biggest opening by far, topping the $12.3 million start for The Northman in 2022, and also reps the biggest opening weekend for a Focus Features film since the pandemic.

All the signs were there for a breakout performance with this film. The horror genre is a reliable performer, particularly over the past few years, and when it’s a critical and fan favorite like Eggers then all the better. The marketing only raised the hype, focusing on Eggers’ gothic visuals and obscuring the face of Bill Skarsgard’s Count Orlock for added mystery. Add in strong critical praise (an 86% aggregate score on Rotten Tomatoes) and all the elements were there.

Even better: audiences like the film, which has a B- CinemaScore (solid for horror) and a 75% RT audience rating. That resulted in strong holds throughout the first five days of release. That’s essential for this film, as it was expensive for a horror film at $50 million due to the period setting.

That said, the film should be in fine shape. With only a very small group of overseas territories open yet, it has $3 million for a $43.3 million worldwide total and Nosferatu will have appeal internationally. Domestically it should be on course for around $90 million or so, which will be more than enough for profit once the overseas numbers start to roll in.

Wicked continues to (forgive me) defy box office gravity, as it was up 37% in its sixth weekend to $19.5 million for the three-day and $31.7 million for the five-day weekend. The Universal Pictures musical is now at $424.2 million domestically and $634.4 million worldwide, an enormous hit against a $145 million budget. It is looking likely to top $460 million stateside and will probably continue to go higher than that.

Moana 2 was also up in three-day numbers from last week, rising 38% to $18.2 million. The five-day take for the Disney Animation sequel was $28.3 million. As of now, it’s at $394.6 million domestically and $882.5 million worldwide, a blockbuster hit against a $150 million budget. It should make it to around $440 million domestically which would make it the #2 Disney Animation film of all time behind Frozen II’s $477.4 million domestic total.

Searchlight Pictures had a solid start for A Complete Unknown, which opened to $11.6 million over three days and $23.2 million over five. That’s right about where most expected the Bob Dylan biopic to land. Like Nosferatu, this gives its respective studio their best opening since COVID – which in this case, technically makes it the best start of the studio’s lifespan as it was previously Fox Searchlight, where 2009’s Notorious had the best opening with $20.5 million.

It was a crowded weekend, and it would have been easy for the Timothee Chalamet-starring film to get lost in the shuffle here. But Searchlight marketed it well and the films three Golden Globe nods earlier this month helped it gain attention. The film has also been warmly received with a solid 78% critic RT aggregate, a 96% RT audience average, and a fantastic A CinemaScore.

It should be said that the film is going to need to stay strong to hit profit, as the movie reportedly cost $70 million. But it has a lot of momentum and the international rollout kicks off next month. Domestically it should be able to make it to around $65 million to $70 million, and we’ll see from there.

A24 got a bit kinky this weekend with Babygirl, and the Nicole Kidman thriller did okay with $4.4 million over three days and $7.2 million over five. That’s what was generally expected for the film, which was never intended to be a breakout hit.

The film fits quite well within A24’s strategy of mid-budgeted films that tackle uncomfortable territory, and it’s paying off okay thus far. Reviews were solid at a 77% RT critic aggregate, though it is more divisive among fans with a 53% RT audience average and B- CinemaScore. With a $20 million budget, A24 is going to need some legs to this film to get it into the black but is also counting on that home viewing revenue while hoping for some awards attention for Kidman. Domestically it should be able to cross $20 million; it has yet to roll out internationally.

Gladiator II is still hanging in there, down just 9% in its sixth weekend with $4.2 million for the three-day take and $6.9 million over five. The Ridley Scott film has totaled $163.1 million stateside and $435.2 million worldwide, continuing its slow path to breakeven against a $250 million budget. The final stateside numbers will probably be somewhere around $175 million to $180 million.

Angel Studios’ Homestead fell 47%, the biggest drop in the top 10, for $3.2 million over since Friday and $5.2 million through Wednesday. The post-apocalyptic thriller is at $12.9 million and should close out at close to $20 million.

The Fire Inside closed out the top 10 with a $2 million start from Friday to Sunday and $4.3 million over five days. The boxing drama turned out to be the one that got lost in the shuffle despite strong reviews (94% on RT) and audience reception (95% RT audience rating, A CinemaScore).

The good news is that this one should still be able to make it close to breakeven for Amazon MGM and hit profit when it arrives on home viewing. It cost just $12 million and should be able to make it to around $10 million domestically.

Next weekend will see Mufasa and Sonic battle again, as there are no new wide releases coming.

BOX OFFICE TOP TEN (Three-Day Domestic Numbers)
1. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 – $38 million ($136.9 million total, $210.9 million WW)
2. Mufasa: The Lion King – $37.1 million ($113.5 million total, $328 million WW)
3. Nosferatu – $21.2 million ($40.3 million total, $43.3 million WW)
3. Wicked – $19.5 million ($424.2 million total, $634.4 million WW)
4. Moana 2 – $18.2 million ($394.6 million total, $882.5 million WW)
6. A Complete Unknown – $11.6 million ($23.2 million total, $23.2 million WW)
7. Babygirl – $4.4 million ($7.2 million total, $7.2 million WW)
8. Gladiator II – $4.2 million ($163.1 million total, $435.2 million WW)
9. Homestead – $3.2 million ($12.9 million total, $12.9 million WW)
10. The Fire Inside – $2 million ($4.3 million total, $4.3 million WW)