*Courtesy of Universal Pictures / Focus Features.*

Disney's 'Mufasa: The Lion King' and Paramount's 'Sonic the Hedgehog 3' are currently leading the box office race in North America, each having earned close to $60 million since the start of the holiday season.

According to initial estimates, 'Sonic 3' edged out slightly ahead with a weekend gross of $38 million, and a total of $59.8 million from 3,769 locations since Christmas Day. 'Mufasa', on the other hand, topped the five-day period with a weekend take of $37.1 million, accumulating a total of $63.9 million from 4,100 theaters.

The holiday period also saw impressive openings for two new films. The 'Nosferatu' remake by Focus Features and the Bob Dylan biopic 'A Complete Unknown' from Searchlight both exceeded expectations. 'Nosferatu', featuring Bill Skarsgård, garnered $21.1 million over the weekend and $40.3 million over five days, far surpassing its anticipated $25 million. Meanwhile, 'A Complete Unknown', starring Timothée Chalamet, earned $11.6 million over the weekend and $23.2 million over its first five days, marking it as one of Searchlight's biggest debuts.

As 'Nosferatu' captivates the horror genre audience and 'A Complete Unknown' appeals to older viewers, both films are expected to continue their successful runs. 'Mufasa' is making a strong recovery in the market with a total gross of $111 million domestically and $328 million globally, proving popular among families during the festive season. Similarly, 'Sonic 3' has amassed $137.5 million domestically and $211 million globally, positioning it for success beyond its predecessors.

Other notable releases include A24's 'Babygirl', which opened to $7.2 million, and Amazon MGM's 'The Fire Inside', which debuted with $2 million over the weekend and $4.33 million over five days. 'The Fire Inside', a sports drama about boxer Claressa "T-Rex" Shields, has been well-received, indicated by a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an 'A' CinemaScore.

Universal's 'Wicked' and Disney's 'Moana 2' also performed strongly, rounding out the top five. 'Wicked' brought in $19.4 million over the weekend and $31.7 million over the five-day period, while 'Moana 2' added $18.3 million over the weekend and $28.3 million over the Christmas stretch.

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