Update: An extra million dollars between today and yesterday, and the official Sonic Movie Twitter has confirmed that Sonic the Hedgehog 2 has indeed had the biggest opening weekend for any video game movie, sitting at a very healthy $72 million.
Original Story: Well, this happened at the speed of light. On Saturday, it looked like the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 movie was going to hit around $65 million at the US box office. Now the figures are in, and the blue blur has shattered the sound barrier and expectations.
Deadline reports that the sequel has smashed past $71 million in the US alone. That's a lot of rings! Predictions already noticed that it was on course to beat the original film's $58 million, but it has utterly destroyed it - and all of that is pretty impressive given the first Sonic the Hedgehog movie launched during the President's Weekend in 2020. Albeit right before the pandemic kicked off.
That means that the sequel displaces its predecessor and now has the biggest opening weekend for a video game movie ever. We can't help but think that's will culminate in huge numbers for Sonic's second outing on the big screen, which sees Tails and Knuckles join the ride.
Paramount Theatrical Distribution Boss Chris Aronson had this to say about the film's success:
“Sonic 2‘s record opening is a victory for Paramount and for the industry at large. The filmmakers did an amazing job of crafting a film that is both in service of Sonic’s legions of fans as well as the general and family audience. Growing a franchise is no small feat and having an opening +22% over the first film is a remarkable achievement. Kudos to the filmmakers and to the marketing and distributions teams at Paramount for doing a fantastic job in bringing the film into the global marketplace!”
These aren't the only impressive stats for the film, which internationally grossed a further $37 million. In total, the film has made $141 million, which also makes it Paramount Studio's biggest opening weekend since 2014. The blue hedgehog is also firmly putting Detective Pikachu back in its Poké Ball for the second time, which made just over $54 million back in 2019.
It's no surprise the film has done so well, given what our sister site Push Square had to say about the film: "The script is funnier, the action is more exciting, and locations are more varied and interesting. Reverence for the source material can be found everywhere, too."
The official Sonic movie Twitter account got in on the celebrations as Sonic reigns at the top of the box office, as they shared more video game-inspired art.
This is a fabulous nod to the title screen of the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 game, and we adore it, but we have to ask - what's Paramount's obsession with making Tails look so grumpy?
These little nods are appropriate to the film, which pays so many homages and references to the video game series it's based on. Sonic fans will find no shortage of things to pick out, and it's much easier than trying to get all seven Chaos Emeralds, that's for sure!
We're already going to get more Sonic films, as the third film has been in production since before the second hit, along with a whole Sonic cinematic universe, so there's no slowing down for a chili dog-eating friend. Though Jim Carey, who has made Dr. Robotnik his own, is considering retiring from acting entirely:
If you've been to see Sonic the Hedgehog 2, let us know what you thought of it (without spoiling anything, of course) in the comments below!
[source deadline.com, via pushsquare.com]
Comments 47
"Thank you for making us the #1 movie in the world!"
But what about best-seller Morbius? =P
Sonic 2 was some of the most fun I've had in theaters
My Mom forbid me to go to cinema during this pandemic so I will wait until the DVD or Blu Ray version already released and I can watch Sonic 2 movie at home.
I’m pretty hyped to see this movie. I’m going to go see it in a bigger movie theater than I usually do on vacation for my birthday, so I’m a fair bit excited.
Sonic 2 was good fun and had stuff that was actually related to the games and their stories... but it was also littered with stuff that felt really weird in a Sonic movie. I'm kinda happy it's doing well but I would like them to make a more focused effort next time. And I really hope Jim Carrey wants to pull off Eggman once more, he is hilarious in that role.
Most successful movie of all time and we can’t get Mania 2? It ain’t right..
@NinChocolate not ‘of all time’ - what the heck are you talking about?
Yeah it's a decent, family fun film! Another good performance by Jim Carrey again
@PessitheMystic well whatever #1 movie in the world means. It’s grounds for Mania 2, I’m calling em out..
Am I the only one who has no hope for the Mario movie but still want to see it just to see how bad it is?
@HotGoomba it will look good, you’ve got to believe that much about it. The humor will probably be booty, but it will probably have fun references. So it’s a win I’d say
Tails so grumpy.
Planning to catch Sonic tonight!
@HotGoomba I think it could be great... I'm not going to judge until I see a trailer.
It was alright. Not everyone will like it.
Turning Red is the best family film this yr so far for me.
@HotGoomba Hopefully so had it's good like the original and not yet another illumination movie...
Sonic 2 was pretty good. Just cut out that section in the middle with the human characters and it would be perfect
The grinch made alot of money too. Doesn't mean it was a great movie. Sonic is a popular character. Of course it's making money.
Sonic has to be good at something. Outside of Sonic Mania, there hasn’t been too many memorable games with the hedgehog. Think I can count on one hand how many good Sonic games there have been since Sonic Adventure 2.
I wonder if ticket price inflation is ever counted into this. Obviously Tomb Raider which came out 21 years ago would have made more at the higher priced tickets we get to pay for today.
Watched Sonic 2 with my kid on Saturday — pretty good movie. Could've been better if it were half an hour shorter: we got tired of everything happening all the time by the second half. But still, comparable to the first one.
Tails looks like me after a Ness main spams PK fire against me 73 times
Loved the movie, my little boy was in adoration. Very funny movie indeed.
It was so much fun.
I liked it more than the first one.
The wedding scene went on a bit too long but everything else was perfect
Its nice to know people are enjoying it.
Objectively, it ain't no Citizen Kane... but I went with my youngest and she was SO HAPPY watching it, I couldn't helped but be charmed. It was really weird the theater was filled with so many kids who LOVE Sonic while being too young to have been alive when the games were very popular and of impeccable quality.
SEGA has a character with a fandom ecclipsed only by Mario. It's borderline malpractice that they aren't fully leveraging this.
loved the movie to pieces, can't wait for the third
I really enjoyed the movie! Easy watching. I liked it better than the first movie.
Until the mario movie 👀👀👀
I watched and I LOVED it and I cannot wait to see the third one!!!
@NinChocolate The writing will be awful, but that'll probably make it so bad it's good.
@Leuke That's fair, even if it's made by a garbage animation studio, it could still be good.
@HollowSpectre Yeah, Illumination has a horrible track record, which is what scares me.
people are so obsessed with sales...
good art (almost) never sells well in its time.
@HotGoomba I've seen iffy studios put out solid movies, when a beloved franchise was on the line. I'm not a fan of Blue Sky (at all), but thought they did a fantastic job with the Peanuts Movie.
Though I do like some Illumination movies, so maybe we just have different taste 😂
I made an exception just for this movie and went to my local theater for the first time since Sonic 1.
I enjoyed the film very much, I didn't care much for the oh so needed human-only scenes, but I tried to have fun with them anyway.
People are saying Knuckles stole Tails' thunder but who really cares, Tails has always been more of a side character he shouldn't have to lead the film.
@Leuke True, The Peanuts Movie was great, and I liked the first two Despicable Me movies (and Sing wasn't bad), so I won't completely throw this out the window.
I'm normally very critical of Sonic, and I am still suspicious of Sonic Frontier.
But Paramount very much know what they're doing, definitely one of the most enjoyable videogame movies. It was fun had some flaws (some parts dragged, felt a little pointless) but where it succeeded big was making the film enjoyable for both kids and adults.
I do like how they had a decent amount of references, elements from the games. But were bold enough to reimagine them into own continuity rather than drag them wholesale from the games. It's a Sonic movie but it isn't just game Sonic as a movie.
@Anti-Matter Dude, you still live with your mom? Aren't you in your 20's or 30's?
@-wc- This.
@HankScorpio
I still live with my Mom, my auntie and my siblings.
I am 37 years old dude and still single.
@SteamEngenius
That's what I was wondering. 22% sounds like about how many more US dollars are floating around relative to 2020. It has always been weird to me that movies are compared longitudinally by money than by ticket sales which are easily countable. I think it's a way for Hollywood to have a built-in recency bias so you keep thinking the latest is also the greatest.
I'm still happy for the movie though.
@Anti-Matter Oh, ok. It's just that a lot of adults here in the United States don't live with their parents when they become adults. Then again, I am still 16, so what do I know?
@HankScorpio
I live in Indonesia. I am Indonesian people.
Maybe there is a different culture between Asian and American peoples.
@Anti-Matter Perhaps.
PSA: anyone can forbid anyone from doing things, whether they are their mothers, live with them, or neither.
@Thomystic
whoa that makes a LOT of sense! 👍
@HankScorpio
There's an increasing number of adults up here in Canada who are likely going to live with their parents, because housing prices are skyrocketing.
Liked: Less obvious product placement, Tails, Knuckles.
Disliked: A few less jokes landed for me.
Still it's an impressive feat to make a sequel arguably better than the first movie
Also dat mid credits reveal
I think I'll wait until it comes to HBO Max or Hulu or whatever. I didn't love the first movie, so I don't think this one will be worth the theater trip.
@HankScorpio @Anti-Matter In many cultures, it's normal to have people live with their parents for a long time.
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