The animal kingdom rules supreme for the first box office weekend of 2025. For the third week in a row, Mufasa: The Lion King faced off against Sonic the Hedgehog 3 — and this time, the apex predator came out on top.

The Lion King” is looking to keep its box office crown with no big newcomers vying for business in theaters this weekend.

The Lion King" finally took the No. 1 spot, surpassing "Sonic the Hedgehog 3” for the first time since they were both released on Dec. 20.

For the last couple of weeks, box office trackers have been monitoring a fascinating race. In late December 2024, Jeff Fowler's Sonic The Hedgehog 3 and Barry Jenkins' Mufasa: The Lion King opened simultaneously,

Meanwhile, Wicked is set to hit a massive new milestone by Sunday and elsewhere, A Complete Unknown is set to break a Searchlight record.

The Lion King outperformed Paramount’s Sonic the Hedgehog 3 at the international box office, solidifying its global dominance. While both films competed strongly during the holiday season, Mufasa leveraged its international appeal to pull ahead of Sonic 3 in worldwide earnings.

Having staged something of a comeback during the Christmas week — a historically lucrative period at the box office — Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King passed a couple of important milestones both domestically and worldwide this weekend.

Mufasa: The Lion King claimed the No. 1 spot at the box office on January 3, earning $7.6 million and surpassing Sonic the Hedgehog 3. Despite a slow start, the Disney film has gained momentum, outpacing competition like Sonic 3 and Nosferatu.