Sonic 3 Beats Mufasa At The U.S. Box Office, Chaos Ensues

Image: Echo Kellum / Paramount / Disney / Kotaku

Back in April, Sonic the Hedgehog fans declared war against the new Lion King prequel Mufasa when it was revealed that the blue blur’s third live-action movie and Disney’s latest photorealistic CGI venture would both release in theaters on the same day. Well, the moment has come, with both films premiering this past weekend on December 20, and not only is Sonic 3 beating Mufasa among critics, but Shadow the Hedgehog’s big screen debut raced right past the Lion King spin-off at the domestic box office as well, pulling in $62 million compared to Mufasa’s $35 million. As you might expect, Sonic fans are having a field day, especially after some pundits doubted that a Sonic Adventure 2 adaptation could go toe-to-toe with a prequel to a long-beloved Disney classic and come out ahead.

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Suggested ReadingSonic 3’s victory arguably comes with an asterisk, however, as Mufasa was at the top of the box office worldwide. However, Sonic 3 hasn’t been released internationally yet, and is rolling out in several territories over the next few weeks, including the franchise’s home country of Japan. So while Mufasa is technically winning worldwide thanks to its head start, it’s still possible that Sonic 3 outpace Mufasa as it comes to other countries based on how much better it performed in America. Since the two films premiered, Disney has celebrated Mufasa’s victory at the global box office, putting out a social media post calling it the “#1 movie in the world.” That framing led Sonic fans to flock to the post on X (formerly Twitter), accusing Disney of misrepresenting Mufasa’s box office performance, and Disney’s social media managers to hide posts referencing Sonic 3 or the series.

While the international battle between the two movies is yet to be seen, that hasn’t stopped fans from claiming victory over the wins with critics and at the domestic box office. And y’all, I feel bad for the lion, but the posts are tremendous.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 paves the way for a fourth film, which is set to premiere in spring 2027. The film’s post-credits scene introduces new characters, but how they fit into the live-action universe is still a mystery.