This December’s ended up being a pretty big month for movies. After a somewhat limp start, the month really got into gear with Sonic 3 and Mufasa, both of which have managed to pick up steam during the Christmas period. And as the year comes to a close, those two movies are still duking it out for the top spot, even as the newer Nosferatu has entered the fray.
Per Variety, Robert Eggers’ gothic horror pic came in behind the two kids flicks and has made $40.3 million since its Christmas Day release. That’s almost double its initial $25 million projections, and is now an all-time best open for Focus Features. Its word of mouth has been pretty good, its trailers have looked very good, and folks like Eggers’ previous work. Probably also helps that the trailers don’t let you see what Bill Skarsgård’s Count Orlok looks like, but the buildup of how freaky he may appear invites curiosity. At the moment, Nosferatu is only out domestically, and it’s not clear when Universal will put it out for international audiences.
Meanwhile, Mufasa and Sonic have grown domestically and overseas. The former earned $111 million in the US, bringing its global total to $328 million. Things have been looking up for the Lion King prequel since Christmas, and the same’s true for the Blue Blur: Sonic’s US take jumped up to $137.5 million, bringing its worldwide total to $211 million. As analyst Luiz Fernando pointed out, the threequel’s having a rough time in Japan, but it’ll likely end up making the films a billion dollar franchise when all is said and done, so there’s probably at least three more movies on the way.
Speaking of billions: it’s looking more and more sure Moana 2’s going to join the billion dollar club. Fernando further noted the film’s box office has grown to $882.5 million worldwide. It’s clearly got a long tail, and the same may be true for the last salvo of 2024 releases as we roll right into 2025. Starting off the New Year, we’ve got The Damned on January 3 and Den of Thieves 2: Pantera on January 10, followed by Universal’s Wolf Man on January 17.
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