'Sonic the Hedgehog' speeds to $70M record
The four-day gross is projected to be one of the best showings ever for the holiday weekend
Paramount’s “Sonic the Hedgehog” is projected to gross a record $70 million at the domestic box office in four days after premiering in first place Friday with a $57 million debut, according to studio estimates.
The projected four-day gross is one of the best showings ever for the holiday weekend, which encapsulated Valentine's Day on Friday followed by President's Day on Monday, according to The Hollywood Reporter citing industry estimates.
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The flick brought in an additional $43 million overseas over the long weekend, pushing its worldwide total above $100 million, according to estimates.
"Sonic the Hedgehog" (Paramount Pictures)
The figure effectively edges out Warner Brothers' 2019's "Detective Pikachu," which previously held the title of the top North American debut for a video game adaptation grossing $54.3 million over its three-day start, the outlet reported.
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"Sonic," the $87 million Sega video game adaptation directed by Jeff Fowler, is centered on the anthropomorphic blue hedgehog with co-stars Jim Carrey as Dr. Robotnik with Ben Schwartz supplying Sonic’s voice. The film came in well above expectations and even drew decent reviews with a 63 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an A CinemaScore from moviegoers.
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The success was a welcomed surprise for Paramount, especially for a movie that just months ago was a laughingstock. After its first trailer was greeted with ridicule on social media last year, “Sonic” was postponed three months to give its title character a design overhaul — including fixing Sonic’s eerily human teeth.
“If you don’t listen to your customer, and this goes for any business, then you’re going to fail,” said Chris Aronson, distribution chief for Paramount. “We retooled Sonic in a way that was obviously very satisfying for the fans and they were very forgiving. Now that they’ve seen the movie, they love the movie. It all worked out.”
The makeover worked and audiences responded by making “Sonic the Hedgehog” the weekend’s top film and the highest-grossing opening for a video game adaptation, not accounting for inflation.
Overall, it was a busy weekend in theaters, with a handful of other new releases — “The Photograph,” “Fantasy Island,” “Downhill” — all seeking to capitalize on both Valentine’s Day and Presidents Day.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.