MUFASA: THE LION KING ROARS INTO THE TOP SPOT, DEBUTING AT NO.1 AT THE UK & IRELAND BOX OFFICE ON ITS OPENING WEEKEND

MUFASA: THE LION KING ROARS INTO THE TOP SPOT, DEBUTING AT NO.1 AT THE UK & IRELAND BOX OFFICE ON ITS OPENING WEEKEND

AUDIENCES TURN OUT TO WATCH THE PREQUEL ON THE BIG SCREEN

London, UK, Monday 23rd December: Audiences came out on opening weekend to watch the much-anticipated origin story for Mufasa on the big screen in Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King; taking in 4.4 million at the UK & Ireland box office across the three-day weekend. Mufasa: The Lion King gets the audiences seal of approval and finishes the weekend with a 89% Verified Audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

In a year filled with record-breaking releases, Disney has dominated the global box office. The Walt Disney Studios has crossed $5Bn globally ($5.060Bn Global, $2.054Bn Domestic, $3.006Bn International). Disney will be the only studio to cross this threshold in 2024 and it is the first time that any studio has surpassed $5Bn since 2019. This is the sixth time that Disney has grossed more than $5Bn globally since 2010.

With its number one box-office opening weekend in the UK & Ireland for Mufasa: The Lion King, the studio has once again claimed the top spot, making it the #1 global release of the weekend. 

Exploring the unlikely rise of the beloved king of the Pride Lands, Mufasa: The Lion King enlists Rafiki to relay the legend of Mufasa to young lion cub Kiara, daughter of Simba and Nala, with Timon and Pumbaa lending their signature schtick. Told in flashbacks, the story introduces Mufasa as an orphaned cub, lost and alone until he meets a sympathetic lion named Taka—the heir to a royal bloodline. The chance meeting sets in motion an expansive journey of an extraordinary group of misfits searching for their destiny—their bonds will be tested as they work together to evade a threatening and deadly foe. The film features an all-star roster of talent, including Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr., John Kani, Tiffany Boone, Kagiso Lediga, Preston Nyman, Mads Mikkelsen, Thandiwe Newton, Lennie James, Anika Noni Rose, Keith David, Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, Donald Glover, Blue Ivy Carter, Braelyn Rankins, Theo Somolu, Folake Olowofoyeku, Joanna Jones, Thuso Mbedu, Sheila Atim, Abdul Salis, Dominique Jennings and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter. Blending live-action filmmaking techniques with photoreal computer-generated imagery, the all-new feature film is directed by Barry Jenkins, produced by Adele Romanski & Mark Ceryak, and executive produced by Peter Tobyansen. Featuring songs by award-winning songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mufasa: The Lion King is out now, exclusively in cinemas.

MUFASA: THE LION KING IS IN UK CINEMAS NOW

Images & clips are available to download on the Disney Press Site 

For more information, please contact matthias.fuchez@disney.com, rebecca.mader@disney.com, and madeleine.grafham@disney.com