Paramount Pictures has a winner on its hands with Sonic the Hedgehog, the movie adaptation of the popular Sega video game of the same name. Parks & Recreation alum Ben Schwartz lends his voice to this wee speedster mammal while Jim Carrey steps into the role of his mad scientist enemy, Robotnik. Oh, and of course James Marsden is along for the ride as a local sheriff who befriends Sonic and must help him defeat Robotnik before it’s too late. Classic.
Image via Paramount Pictures
Sonic the Hedgehog hit $57 million domestic through Sunday. Since this is a four-day holiday weekend, we’ll have to wait until Tuesday to get the complete picture on Sonic‘s opening weekend. But, for now and with $57 million in the bank, Sonic the Hedgehog has officially become the video game adaptation with the highest grossing opening weekend, beating Detective Pikachu‘s $53.4 million domestic opening weekend in the process. The Paramount feature opened on 4,167 screens nationwide, averaging $13,679 per screen. Carrying the bonus of being kid-friendly and PG-rated, Sonic also scooped up an A CinemaScore based on audience response. If our favorite blue speedy boy keeps it up, he and the movie he stars in could end up with somewhere between $65 and $70 million when the President’s Day four-day weekend wraps.
Sonic the Hedgehog was not the only movie opening over this long holiday weekend. In an unusually jam-packed schedule fellow features Fantasy Island, The Photograph, and Downhill also premiered, each offering something different for moviegoers. At number three is the Sony Pictures/Blumhouse release Fantasy Island, starring Lucy Hale and Michael Peña in a scary update on the popular ’70s TV show. Saddled with a tepid C- CinemaScore, the new take on Fantasy Island earned $12.4 million domestic over the weekend, averaging $4,454 per screen. Considering it was made on supremely lean reported budget of $7 million, these are solid results for the Blumhouse release. In fourth place is the romantic drama The Photograph, starring Issa Rae and LaKeith Stanfield. Universal’s latest brought in $12.3 million domestic, averaging $4,877 per screen and scoring a very solid B+ CinemaScore.
More to come…
