In a thrilling kickoff to the holiday season, Paramount's Sonic the Hedgehog 3 zoomed into theaters with an impressive $6.5 million in Thursday previews, marking the highest preview numbers for any film in the popular franchise. This beats the previous installment's $5 million Thursday previews and the overall combined take of $6.25 million. To put things in perspective, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 opened with a robust $72.1 million back in 2022, solidifying its status as the best opener in the series.

In contrast, Disney's Mufasa, a prequel to The Lion King, garnered a more modest $3.3 million in its previews. This figure brings it slightly below expectations, considering its original forecast predicted it would surpass the $50 million mark. For context, similar titles like Wonka and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse both earned around $3.5 million in previews and went on to open with $39 million and $35.4 million respectively.

As the box office battle heats up, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is projected to open with a grand total of around $60 million, while Mufasa’s final tally remains uncertain. Its critical reception is currently mixed, with a score of 57% on Rotten Tomatoes, contrasting sharply with Sonic the Hedgehog 3, which boasts an impressive 88% rating and a staggering 98% audience score.

Holiday weekends have historically been a goldmine for movie studios, with family-friendly films drawing large crowds. Moreover, with schools across the United States on break, recent data from Comscore indicates that 13% of K-12 students are off this week, and this number climbs to an astonishing 95% by Monday. The holiday moviegoing season typically rejuvenates box office revenues, especially as audiences flock to theaters after the Christmas festivities kick off.

As families and moviegoers gear up for a weekend packed with cinematic excitement, all eyes will be on the box office results for both Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Mufasa. Will Sonic continue to outperform expectations, or will Disney's beloved characters pull a surprise win? Only time will tell!