Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King is projected to open with a $59 million to $66 million debut, according to Quorum tracking service, as the Barry Jenkins-directed prequel prepares for its theatrical release on December 20.
It’s important to note that the major promotional campaigns for Mufasa and Paramount’s Sonic The Hedgehog 3 are yet to fully launch.
Trailers for both are expected to drop heavily during the high-traffic holiday season alongside blockbuster releases like Wicked, Gladiator II, and Moana 2. The forecast is also geared toward general audiences.
Quorum’s “Pay to See” scale, which measures audience willingness to pay for theater tickets, shows strong interest in Mufasa with a score of 62—comparable to Wicked (64), Gladiator II (63), and Moana 2 (62) for the Thanksgiving season.
Mufasa appears to appeal more to female viewers, while Sonic the Hedgehog 3, set for the same release date, is drawing a male-leaning, younger audience.
The film tells the origin story of Simba’s father and king-to-be, Mufasa, featuring voice actors such as Aaron Pierre, Donald Glover, Thandiwe Newton, Billy Eichner, and Seth Rogen.
The weekend before Christmas, historically known for record-breaking releases—such as Spider-Man: No Way Home, which opened to $260 million domestically on December 17, 2021—promises strong holiday box office potential.
Christmas Day falls on a Wednesday this year, likely boosting viewership in the following days, with many moviegoers anticipated to watch two to three films through the New Year’s opening weekend.
Mufasa, a photorealistic animated feature, serves as a prequel to 2019’s The Lion King directed by Jon Favreau, which had a $191.7 million debut, earning $543.6 million domestically and $1.66 billion worldwide.
Disney has not commented on the Mufasa projections. Quorum, notably, was the first tracking service to predict that Disney/Marvel Studios’ Deadpool & Wolverine would surpass a $200 million opening weekend.
