‘Lion King’ Prequel Scores $122 Million Globally

“Mufasa” has reigned supreme at the global box office, but the “Lion King” prequel lacks the bite of Disney’s previous live-action adaptations.

The film, a prequel to director Jon Favreau’s 2019 photorealistic “The Lion King” remake, took in $87.2 million overseas and $122 million globally. While these ticket sales were enough to top the worldwide box office charts, the film fell well short of release expectations of $130 million overseas and $180 million globally. “Mufasa” also missed projections in North America, debuting to just $35 million while landing second behind Paramount’s “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” ($62 million). The third “Sonic” adventure will not open at the international box office until December 25.

China was the biggest market for “Mufasa” with $7.8 million to start, followed by France with $7.7 million, Mexico with $7.1 million and the United Kingdom with $5.5 million.

Barry Jenkins, best known for his Best Picture Oscar winner “Moonlight,” directed “Mufasa,” a prequel about the formative years of the future ruler of the Pride Lands. It takes place ahead of Favreau’s “The Lion King,” which delivered $1.66 billion at the global box office despite mixed reviews.

“Mufasa,” which must also overcome so-so critical sentiments, features music by “Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda and the voice cast of Aaron Pierre and Kelvin Harrison Jr. like Mufasa and Scar. Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Mads Mikkelsen and Blue Ivy Carter round off the star-studded ensemble. The film has a huge price tag of over $200 million, so Disney needs “Mufasa” to stick around in the new year to justify the price and continue the studio’s box office streak of “Inside Out 2,” “Deadpool & Wolverine” and “Moana “. 2.”

“Moana 2,” meanwhile, added another $32.8 million from 52 territories over the weekend. The sequel, which was originally commissioned for streaming, has become a theatrical success with $431 million internationally and $790.2 million globally. It’s poised to eventually become Disney’s third 2024 release to cross the $1 billion mark.

Elsewhere at the international box office, Universal’s “Wicked” adaptation collected another $12.6 million from 81 markets. The big-budget musical, starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, has generated $383 million domestically and $571 million worldwide to date. It stands as the second-biggest worldwide Broadway revival after 2008’s “Mamma Mia” ($611 million).

Paramount’s “Gladiator II” brought in $5.4 million over the weekend, bringing its overseas tally to $262.3 million. The sequel to Ridley Scott’s Oscar-winning 2000 epic “Gladiator” has grossed $416 million globally, resulting in big business for theater owners. Still, the film won’t fight its way out of the red zone for Paramount, which spent more than $250 million to return to the arena.