The Lion King" is reigning over the holiday box office. The family film, which is a prequel to “The Lion King” (both the 1994 animated classic and the less canonical 2019 photorealistic remake), earned $12 million on Thursday.

At this point, 2024 will have an adequate Christmas compared to recent years. Grosses for December 25 and 26 are about $5 million ahead of 2023. But the $116 million two-day total was dramatically lower than the years before COVID struck.

Mufasa: The Lion King was met with mixed reviews from critics, but audiences are turning out to push the film to another major box office milestone.