As the holiday movie season ramps up, audiences are flocking to theaters even before Christmas Day. With around 95% of K-12 schools closed today, family filmgoers are making the most of the extended break.

Paramount’s latest blockbuster, 'Sonic the Hedgehog 3', is set to rake in approximately $9 million today across 3,761 venues, bringing its total to around $69.1 million following a slightly disappointing opening weekend of $60.1 million.

Directed by Jeff Fowler and featuring stars like Jim Carrey and Ben Schwartz, this installment of the beloved franchise is anticipated to see a significant boost during the upcoming five-day holiday period, with predictions suggesting it could earn over $50 million.

However, it’s worth noting that today’s earnings mark a 41% drop from Sunday’s impressive $15.3 million.

On the other hand, Disney’s prequel 'Mufasa: The Lion King', which limped out of the gate with a mere $35.4 million opening, is projected to bring in another $7 million today, down 51% from yesterday's $10.2 million.

Over the four-day weekend, 'Mufasa' should accumulate around $42.4 million, with expectations of a $40 million to $45 million haul by the end of the Christmas weekend.

The movie, directed by Barry Jenkins, will soon see competition from the much-anticipated 'Moana 2', expected to fetch $20 million to $22 million.

Meanwhile, Universal’s 'Wicked', an adaptation of the iconic Broadway musical, is forecasting around $4 million today after a $14.1 million fifth weekend, resulting in a total domestic gross close to $388.5 million by tomorrow.

This remarkable success positions it on track to surpass the $400 million mark by the end of the holiday weekend – a monumental feat for a film of its genre.

The competition doesn’t stop there! As Christmas draws near, audiences will be treated to a slew of new releases, including four adult-oriented films launching on Wednesday.

These feature a mix of genres from horror to biopic, including Robert Eggers’ 'Nosferatu', James Mangold’s Bob Dylan biopic 'A Complete Unknown', A24’s provocative 'Babygirl' starring Nicole Kidman, and Amazon’s Boxing drama 'The Fire Inside'.

With this fierce competition, moviegoers have a rich variety of choices this festive season, setting the stage for a thrilling box office showdown!

Don't miss out on experiencing these cinematic adventures!