Los Angeles, California - Disney's animated film Mufasa: The Lion King reigned over North America's box office this weekend, surpassing Sonic the Hedgehog 3 to start the new year with an estimated $23.8 million take, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported Sunday.

The showing pushed Mufasa to a domestic total of $168.6 million over three weekends, propelling it into the top 15 of 2024 releases, Variety reported.

With an additional $307 million earned internationally, the Barry Jenkins-directed film appears on track to reach the half-billion-dollar mark.

Sonic, the Paramount action comedy about a speedy blue hedgehog, slowed a bit as the year-end holiday season wound down in the US and Canada, taking in $21.2 million for the Friday-through-Sunday period.

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The videogame-based film has now compiled $187.5 million in domestic ticket sales and $148 million abroad, for a total of $333.5 million.

Focus Film's vampire pic Nosferatu – the latest remake of the 1922 silent classic inspired by Bram Stoker's Dracula – held tight in third place at $13.2 million.

Down one spot from last weekend was Disney blockbuster Moana 2, at $12.4 million.

With accumulated ticket sales of $425 million domestically and $535 million overseas, its $960 million total puts it on the verge of passing Despicable Me 4 ($969 million) as the third top-grossing release of 2024 and brings it close to the $1 billion milestone.

In fifth place, also down one spot from last weekend, was Universal's musical fantasy Wicked.

This latest take on the magical world of Oz logged ticket sales of $10.2 million, even after becoming available for on-demand video viewing.