Mufasa: The Lion Kinghas hit a major box office milestone, joining three other 2024 Disney movies. The photorealistic CG-animated prequel follows the origin story of Simba’s father, Mufasa, and his dynamic with his jealous adoptive brother Taka, later known as Scar. TheMufasa: The Lion Kingreleasekicked off the weekend before Christmas with a lukewarm debut that saw it hit No. 2 on the domestic chart behindSonic the Hedgehog 3. However, it has had slow and steady growth that allowed it to eventually hit No. 1 during its third weekend.
PerDeadline, as of the Saturday morning of its fourth weekend in theaters,Mufasa: The Lion Kinghas officially crossed the $500 million milestoneworldwide. This makes it the fourth Disney release of 2024 to hit that mark, afterMoana 2,Deadpool & Wolverine, andInside Out 2.Mufasais currently the ninth highest-grossing movie of 2024 worldwide, leavingSonic the Hedgehogin the dust at No. 18 on the overall global chart.
What This Means For Mufasa: The Lion King
It Is Thriving In Theaters
By passing this milestone, theMufasa: The Lion Kingbox officehas fully shaken off its initial doldrums. In fact, it has most likely begun to earn a profit in theaters, which will benefit it as its fourth weekend continues. Typically, a movie needs to earn back two-and-a-half times its production budget in theaters, and becauseMufasacost a reported $200 million,its break-even point is likely more or less exactly $500 million.
Mufasa’s predecessor,The Lion King(2019), cost even more, with a reported budget of roughly $260 million.
However, reaching the half-billion milestone this late in its runlikely means that it will never become a billion-dollar movielike its 2019 predecessor, which grossed $1.662 billion worldwide. It is nevertheless a solid success, recovering substantially from its lukewarm opening weekend. Its $35.4 million debut had put it on a trajectory that may have seen it just barely cross the $300 million global milestone if it had not been for a variety of factors, including solidMufasa: The Lion Kingreviewsthat earned it a strong 89% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Our Take On The Mufasa: The Lion King Milestone
Disney’s “Live-Action” Franchise Might Not Continue
While this is an impressive milestone forMufasa: The Lion King, if it doesn’t make substantially more at the box office, it may prove to be the end of its “live-action” franchise, preventing moreLion Kingmovies from being made for fear of not breaking even. Disney has rarely pursued follow-ups to their live-action remakes, perhaps because the sequelAlice Through the Looking Glassonly earned $299.5 million against its $170 million budget in 2015. The theatrical fate of this prequel may cement that decision, preventing more direct sequels or prequels to their ever-widening roster of remakes.
Mufasa: The Lion King
Cast
Mufasa: The Lion King explores the origins of the beloved character Mufasa, focusing on his youth as a lost cub who encounters Taka, a royal heir. Their meeting initiates an epic journey of self-discovery and destiny, featuring a group of misfit companions navigating the challenges of their world.
