Christmas Box Office: ‘Mufasa’ Roars to the Top While ‘Nosferatu’ Bites Into Strong Opening

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Dec 26

Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King dominated Christmas box office sales, capturing $14.7 million on its way to becoming a holiday favorite. The prequel to The Lion King has now earned $64.3 million domestically and $197.7 million globally, after raking in an additional $18.8 million internationally. Stateside, the family-friendly adventure is expected to surpass $50 million over the five-day holiday frame, cementing its place as a seasonal blockbuster.

Coming in second, Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu opened to an impressive $11.5 million. The gothic horror film, a retelling of the Dracula-inspired vampire tale, features a star-studded cast, including Lily-Rose Depp, Nicholas Hoult, Bill Skarsgård, and Willem Dafoe. With a $50 million budget, the film must sustain its momentum as counter-programming for the holidays. Eggers, known for critically acclaimed arthouse hits like The Witch and The Lighthouse, delivers a haunting, visually arresting cinematic experience that offers a stark contrast to traditional Christmas fare.

Paramount’s Sonic the Hedgehog 3 took third place, earning $10.3 million on Christmas Day, bringing its domestic total to $88 million. Despite dropping from the top spot, Sonic remains a solid performer, with Paramount already greenlighting a fourth installment set for 2027. The franchise, based on Sega’s iconic video game series, continues to resonate with audiences of all ages.

In fourth place, Searchlight’s A Complete Unknown, a Bob Dylan biopic starring Timothée Chalamet and directed by James Mangold, debuted with $7.2 million, including $1.4 million from Tuesday previews. With a budget of $60-70 million, the critically acclaimed film is riding a wave of Oscar buzz, driven by Chalamet’s star power and Mangold’s reputation for biographical storytelling (Walk the Line). It is projected to earn $22 million over five days, solidifying its position as a strong awards contender.

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Rounding out the top five, Universal’s Wicked earned $5.4 million on Christmas Day, bringing its domestic total to $397.9 million since its pre-Thanksgiving release. The film adaptation of the beloved Broadway musical has been a consistent box office juggernaut and remains one of the year’s top earners.

Awards Contenders and Newcomers

Several awards-season hopefuls also made their mark. A24’s Babygirl, an erotic drama starring Nicole Kidman, Harris Dickinson, and Antonio Banderas, earned $1.5 million on Wednesday from just over 2,000 screens. Directed by Halina Reijn, the film has received glowing reviews, further bolstering A24’s impressive holiday lineup. The studio is also fielding Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist, a three-hour historical epic starring Adrien Brody and Felicity Jones, which has earned $429,580 in limited release.

Amazon MGM Studios’ The Fire Inside, a sports drama about boxer Claressa “T-Rex” Shields, debuted to $1.7 million from 2,006 theaters. Directed by Rachel Morrison and starring Ryan Destiny and Brian Tyree Henry, the inspirational film is expected to generate $6 million over its first five days, marking a strong start for Morrison’s directorial debut.

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