Beats Wonka & Moana 2’s Debut With Its Modest $7M+ Opening Weekend Collection

Mufasa: The Lion King debuted at #1 at the box office in China. Although it is far from what The Lion King earned in 2019, the movie collected more than Moana 2 and Wonka. The movie is already underperforming at the box office and has also earned lower than the projected range in the US. Keep scrolling for more.

Wonka was released in December last year, featuring Timothee Chalamet in the titular role. It was a box office success and one of the highest-grossing films of the Dune 2 star. Meanwhile, Moana 2 was released just last month and is still running in the theatres. It has stronger legs than this Disney musical. The film has also surpassed The Matrix Resurrections’ debut weekend number in China.

Based on trade analyst Luiz Fernando’s report, Mufasa: The Lion King debuted at #1 at the Chinese box office after scoring a decent $7.8 million in its opening weekend. It has collected more than Wonka’s $5.5 million, Moana 2’s $6.5 million, and The Matrix Resurrections’ $7.5 million opening weekend collection. However, it stayed below Barbie, Inside Out 2, The Rise of Gru, and even The Marvels.

Barbie collected $8.1 million, Inside Out 2 earned $10.3 million, The Rise of Gru collected $11.4 million, followed by Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ $11.6 million, and The Marvels collected $11.8 million. Mufasa grossed $2.8 million on Sunday, just a drop of 22.2% from Saturday over 76K screenings.

However, it is over 85% less than The Lion King’s $54.2 million opening weekend in China. It was before COVID, and things were different then, which might explain such a drastic difference. It has registered $43K in pre-sales for Monday and played over 60K screenings.

Meanwhile, Mufasa: The Lion King collected $35 million in the US and $87.2 million overseas, thereby earning $122.2 million in its worldwide opening weekend. The film was released in the theatres on December 20.

Note: Box office numbers are based on estimates and various sources. Numbers have not been independently verified by Koimoi.

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Must Read: Mufasa: The Lion King (North America): Makes A Disappointing Debut, Earns Almost 82% Less Than The Lion King’s Opening Weekend