Paramount's ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 3’ sprinted ahead with a stellar $6.5 million in preview earnings last night, setting a new record for the franchise. These figures, released by Paramount, outpace the sequel's $5 million debut on a comparable Thursday, with a combined preview total of $6.25 million. The previous film, ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 2,’ had a blockbuster opening weekend of $72.1 million, the highest in the series to date. For context, the original ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ film garnered $3 million in previews in February 2020 and opened to $58 million just before the global pandemic struck.

Meanwhile, Disney's ‘Mufasa’ roared to life with $3.3 million in previews. Despite strong expectations, with forecasts initially predicting an opening north of $50 million, it's uncertain if ‘Mufasa’ will achieve these numbers. Its performance is in the neighborhood of other films like ‘Wonka,’ which previewed at $3.5 million and earned $39 million, and ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,’ which also began with $3.5 million and collected $35.4 million at the box office.

Directed by Barry Jenkins, the ‘Mufasa’ prequel has secured showings in over 4,100 theaters, signaling significant anticipation and distribution support.

Historically, this time of year is reserved for major blockbuster releases such as ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens,’ ‘Avatar: The Way of Water,’ and ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home.’

The industry is hopeful that the festive season will boost cinema attendance, especially as international school breaks commence.

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