New Year’s Box Office Update & Weekend Predictions: Nosferatu passes $50 million domestically

The box office battle royale between Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Mufasa: The Lion King continued this holiday week, with Deadline reporting that the Disney prequel grossed $10.3 million on New Year’s Day to Sonic’s $8.95 million. However, in terms of totals, Mufasa is trailing Sonic, with $138 million domestically to the latter’s $160.4 million. Moana 2 was in third place, with a $5.1 million gross, although it was nearly edged out by Nosferatu, with the Robert Eggers film making $4.96 million, with a $53 million tally. That makes it Eggers’s highest-grossing film to date, beating The Northman’s $34.2 million domestic take by a long shot. 

Wicked wasn’t too far behind, with a $4.63 New Year’s gross adding to its $437 million total, despite now being available on PVOD (a move that’s raising eyebrows, as the film is still brought in huge theatrical grosses). A Complete Unknown was in 6th place with $3.1 million, for a $31.7 million total. By the end of the weekend, it should be able to pass The Menu (which earned $38.5 million) to become Searchlight’s highest-grossing film since the Disney merger in 2019.

As we head into another weekend, no one expects big changes in the top 5. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 usually wins the top spot on the weekend, and it should be able to make $20 million this weekend. Mufasa shouldn’t be too far behind, with about $18 million. However, Nosferatu, which has been gaining ground all week, should be able to move up to third place, with a $14 million gross, while Moana 2 should hit fourth place with about $10 million. Wicked should be in fifth place with $9 million and would likely beat Moana were it not for the PVOD release.

Here are our predictions:

1. Sonic the Hedgehog 3: $20 million
2. Mufasa: The Lion King: $18 million
3. Nosferatu: $14 million
4. Moana 2: $10 million
5. Wicked: $9 million

What will you be seeing as the X-Mas holidays wrap up this weekend? Let us know in the comments!