Theater counts: Mufasa roars into 4,100 theaters

December 19, 2024

For nearly a month now, one couldn’t look at the box office charts without seeing either Wicked or Moana 2 holding the top position. However, that all looks to change this weekend with two new franchise films clawing their way into theaters, poised to battle in an already crowded holiday season.

Opening in 4,100 locations is the latest in The Lion King franchise with the release of the prequel, Mufasa: The Lion King. The Barry Jenkins-directed feature tells the story of Mufasa, starting as an orphaned cub, who, with an extraordinary group of misfits, search for their destiny and must work together to evade a threatening and deadly foe. The film showcases a vast array of prominent voices, with Aaron Pierre voicing the role of the title character, Mufasa. 2019’s The Lion King opened to $192 million in its opening weekend and went on to score a domestic total of over $543 million, becoming the second highest-grossing film that year.

Also making its way into movie theaters this weekend is the third installment in the Sonic The Hedgehog franchise as Sonic The Hedgehog 3 races into theaters. Beginning its run in 3,761 venues, the movie follows Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails as they reunite against a powerful new adversary, Shadow, a mysterious villain with powers unlike anything they have ever faced. The third feature brings back director Jeff Fowler, who directed its two predecessors, as well as the original voice for Sonic, Ben Schwartz. With the franchise’s global total already at an impressive $708 million across the first two films, the latest installment sets its sights on crossing the $1 billion milestone.

Desiring a night at the cinema but not interested in an animated feature? You’re in luck as Homestead will be playing in most locales throughout North America. The post-apocalyptic drama follows a group of people who, after a nuclear bomb is detonated in Los Angeles, escape to a fortress in the mountains. As violent threats and apocalyptic conditions creep toward their borders, the residents of The Homestead are left to wonder: how long can they resist both the dangers of human nature and the bloodshed at their doorstep? The film starring Neal McDonough will be available in 1,886 movie houses.

Rounding out the top five this weekend is the current weekend box office topper as, Moana 2, loses 400 theaters but remains in a solid 3,600 locations. Occupying the third place spot is the aforementioned Wicked, showing in 3,289 cinemas this weekend, after playing in 3,689 last weekend. Finally, Kraven the Hunter retains its opening count of 3,211 venues as it heads into its second weekend.

As previously touched upon, the holiday season is at its peak and with that, the usual Christmas Day openings are ready to make their cinematic arrivals. Four newcomers are set for the Wednesday opener, including the Bob Dylan biopic, A Complete Unknown, the Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson erotic-thriller, Babygirl, gothic vampire feature, Nosferatu, and lastly, boxing biography, The Fire Inside. The former is projected to arrive in approximately 2,500 cinemas.

Filed under: Theater Counts, The Lion King, Sonic The Hedgehog, Moana, Nicole Kidman, Bob Dylan, Neal McDonough, Ben Schwartz, Harris Dickinson