Mufasa: The Lion Kingopened over the holiday season of 2024 and, unlike most movies lately, played it out in theaters to generate some legs before being sent to PVOD. It was good that Disney stuck to a longer theatrical window because even though the trades questioned its opening weekend start, the film found an audience and took it to box office heights that the Mouse House could be proud of. Now that its box-office run is wrapping up,Mufasa’s next journey is upon us, and it involves a new streaming home for audiences who happened to miss it during the holidays.
Per People Magazine,Mufasa: The Lion Kingwill hit Disney+ on Mar. 26, a few days over 3 months since the movie hit theaters on Dec. 20. The performance of the film has been exceptional, even over the weekend when it placed 8th place on the box office chart with a gross of $1.6 million after 12 weeks of release. The week before, the movie was in sixth place with a gross of $1.9 million in its 11th weekend, which means it only slipped a slim 16.3%, despite being in play for a long time by theatrical standards.
Mufasa: The Lion King Has A Soft Start at The Box Office
Mufasa: The Lion King, which followed the 2019 photorealistic adaptation of the 1994 animated film as a prequel, didn’t come out of the gate swinging when it initially opened. For comparison’s sake, the 2019 film opened to $191.8 million during the summer of 2019, whileMufasadebuted in second with $35.4 million heading into the Christmas season. The movie actually finished in second behindSonic the Hedgehog 3($60.1 million) and some thought the $200 million prequel was goingto be in serious trouble.
‘Mufasa: The Lion King’ Seemed Unnecessary, but I Was So Wrong
The new live-action ‘Lion King’ prequel explores the complex history between Mufasa and Scar.
Its fortunes began to change as its box office run continued, and the movie ultimately replacedSonic the Hedgehog 3in the first position during its third weekend of release. By MLK weekend, the movie was still in the top spotduring its fifth outingand was able to outgross newcomers likeWolf ManandOne of Them Days. Its legs became so strong that, despite the thirdSonicmovie opening higher,Mufasa: The Lion Kinghas actually surpassed it at the domestic box office with a gross of $250.4 million versusSonic’sstill impressive $235.8 million. With a global take of $712.4 million, the prequel does fall short of the $1.6 billion worldwide take of the 2019 film but, given its start, it can be considered a stellar box office run.
Directed by Barry Jenkins from a screenplay by Jeff Nathanson,Mufasa: The Lion Kingtells the story of how the titular character is taken in by a lion named Taka (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) and his family after he is left lost and alone. Taka and Mufasa (Aaron Pierre) first bond as brothers, but Taka, who is the heir to a royal bloodline, grows jealous of Mufasa after a series of events that will alter their lives forever moving forward, and turn Taka into who audiences all know as the villainous Scar. The film also features the vocal talent of Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, Donald Glover, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, John Kani, Tiffany Boone, Mads Mikkelsen, Thandiwe Newton, Lennie James, Anika Noni Rose and Blue Ivy Carter. The movie also features new songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Mufasa: The Lion Kinghits Disney+ on Mar. 26.
Source:People Magazine
Mufasa: The Lion King
Mufasa: The Lion King is a prequel to the live-action remake of the original Disney animated film, The Lion King. The film will follow Mufasa in his early days; further plot details are currently under wraps. The film will likely explore Mufasa and Scar’s relationship and how it became as strained as it did. In the film, Timon and Pumba will return, with Billy Eicher and Seth Rogen reprising their roles.
