Before its release, Sonic the Hedgehog underwent a roller coaster experience. Many felt the project was destined to fail after its initial trailer, which revealed a janky version of Sonic that failed to impress fans. After delaying its release for a few months to rework Sonic’s design, fans were then encouraged by new marketing material that showed a look that was more in line with the original source material. Still, considering the murky history of video game movies, there was no guarantee that the film would be a success.
Thankfully, it seems that Sonic the Hedgehog has been able to crack the video game movie curse. Along with scoring solid reviews (63% on Rotten Tomatoes), the film has found its place in the record books, passing Detective Pickachu for the largest opening weekend for a video game movie. Check out BoxOfficeMojo’s breakdown of Sonic’s strong opening.
With an estimated $57 million three-day performance, Paramount’s Sonic the Hedgehog topped last May’s Pokemon Detective Pikachu to become the largest three-day opening ever for a video game adaptation. The film, based on the iconic SEGA video game, is expected to finish around $68 million for the four-day holiday frame, which would be the fourth largest Presidents’ Day opening ever, with some anticipating the film will top $70 million by the time the long, holiday weekend is over.
As someone who enjoyed Sonic the Hedgehog, I am happy to see it thriving at the box office, leaving room open for a potential sequel to follow. I hope that the success of this film and Detective Pickachu will give studios more confidence in adapting video games to the big screen, with both films acting as a blueprint for how to properly adapt this material.
I also want to send some much-needed love and appreciation for the VFX team behind Sonic’s rebuild, who were sadly shut down despite their success with this film. VFX teams deserve more respect in the industry and I hope the artists who worked on this project land on their feet soon.
Did you enjoy Sonic the Hedgehog? Let us know in the comments!