AceShowbiz - This weekend, the box office saw a thrilling battle between Paramount's "Sonic the Hedgehog 3" and Disney's "Mufasa: The Lion King". "Sonic 3" narrowly edged out "Mufasa" with $38 million compared to $37.1 million.

With a strong start, "Sonic 3" has amassed $137.5 million domestically, positioning itself ahead of "Sonic the Hedgehog 2" in its release trajectory. Overseas, the film gathered a robust $74 million, leading to a global total of $211.5 million.

"Mufasa", despite a rocky beginning with a $35 million opening, bounced back with a 6% increase in its second weekend, accumulating $113.5 million domestically over ten days. The film became the top-grossing release of the weekend with $63.9 million over the 5-day period, outpacing "Sonic 3". Worldwide, "Mufasa" now stands at an impressive $328 million.

Adding to the weekend's excitement, Searchlight's "A Complete Unknown" featuring Timothee Chalamet as Bob Dylan, opened to an impressive $11.6 million over three days and $23.2 million over five days. However, with a high production budget of $70 million, the biopic will need to maintain strong legs through January, potentially receiving a boost from Oscar nominations.

"Nosferatu", directed by Robert Eggers, also made waves, securing $21.1 million from 2,992 theaters and achieving a 5-day total of $40.3 million. It showcases the potential to join the top-grossing horror films of 2024, with future milestones possibly challenging Focus Features' all-time studio records.

Two other new releases, A24's thriller "Babygirl" and Amazon MGM's "The Fire Inside", experienced mixed results. "Babygirl" earned $7.2 million across five days, with positive critical reception but lukewarm audience reaction. "The Fire Inside" garnered $4.3 million, praised by viewers for its inspirational story.

Meanwhile, November hits "Wicked" and "Moana 2" continued to perform robustly. "Wicked" hit a domestic total of $424 million, aided by a Christmas Day sing-along version, while "Moana 2" approached the $1 billion worldwide mark, standing at $882 million globally.

After a year marked by fluctuating box office results due to the labor disputes of 2023, the market showed signs of recovery. The final six weeks of 2024 allowed for a rebound, bringing the annual box office earnings just 4% shy of 2023's $9.06 billion.

Top 10 of North American Box Office (Dec. 27-29, 2024):

1. "Sonic the Hedgehog 3" - $38 million
2. "Mufasa: The Lion King" - $37.1 million
3. "Nosferatu" - $21.2 million
4. "Wicked" - $19.4 million
5. "Moana 2" - $18.2 million
6. "A Complete Unknown" - $11.6 million
7. "Babygirl" - $4.4 million
8. "Gladiator II" - $4.2 million
9. "Homestead" - $3.2 million
10. "The Fire Inside" - $2 million