‘Sonic 3’ bests ‘Mufasa: The Lion King’ at the box office

Many of Disney’s live-action adaptations – including “Aladdin,” “Beauty and the Beast” and “Jungle Book” – have been big hits. Others, such as “Dumbo,” “Mulan” and “The Little Mermaid,” have been less well received. More are on the way, including a new “Snow White” in March, “Lilo & Stitch” in May, and plans for “Moana” and “Tangled” to get the same live-action treatment.

Despite “Mufasa’s” muted opening, Disney is still celebrating its strongest annual performance in years. The studio has accounted for more than $5 billion in ticket sales worldwide, including the year’s top two hits: “Inside Out 2” and “Deadpool and Wolverine.” The animated “Moana 2” is poised to round out the top three films of the year. In four weeks of release, it has collected $790.2 million globally, including $13.1 million in U.S. and Canadian theaters over this weekend.

Though Christmas often sees some of the biggest releases of the year, November movies released around Thanksgiving really drove the box office this year. That includes “Moana 2” and Universal Pictures’ “Wicked,” which managed third place in its fifth weekend.

“Wicked,” the hit musical adaption starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, added $13.5 million in North American theaters to push its domestic total to $383.9 million.

Those films, among others, have led a Hollywood rebound in 2024. After a significant deficit earlier in the year, overall sales are drawing close to those of 2023. According to Comscore, the gap has narrowed to 4.4% behind last year’s results. While that’s still significantly less than pre-pandemic years, it’s enough to flip the script on what once looked like a rough year for the movies.

Family films like “Inside Out 2,” “Moana 2” and “Sonic 3” have played a major role. Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore, noted animated movies have accounted for 26% of this year’s box office.

“The box office year was saved by the family audience being drawn to the multiplex,” said Dergarabedian.