With good reviews, strong word-of-mouth and a lack of kid-friendly options, ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 2’ could be the first video game movie to pass $200 million domestic.
Well, with two of the year’s biggest theatrical releases belonging to the same sub-genre, I think we can all stop pretending that there’s a “curse” for video game-based movies. Two of the year’s first breakout sequels both coming from Paramount, with the studio now going 4/4 in 2022 with Top Gun: Maverick on the way next month. It’s possible that the Paramount comeback that they were aiming for just before Covid (when Sonic the Hedgehog was about to be followed by A Quiet Place part II and Top Gun: Maverick) was merely delayed by two years. With a sky-high opening weekend for Sonic the Hedgehog 2, there’s ample evidence that audiences will show up for more than just Marvel/DC superhero movies and that films explicitly targeting younger audiences can do just fine. Buoyed by decent reviews, an A from Cinemascore, a well-liked IP and a well-liked predecessor, the $110 million-budgeted Sonic the Hedgehog 2 shattered records for video game movies, earning $71 million in its initial Fri-Sun frame. That’s up from the $58 million Fri-Sun/$70 million Fri-Mon President’s Day debut back in 2020, or “tied” if you argue that folks who showed up over a long weekend otherwise would have over a conventional Fri-Sun opening. Since the film plays like gangbusters to general audiences (the Friday night crowd, including all three of my kids – ages 6-14 – very much enjoyed themselves), I’m expecting a leggy run. Throw in no kid-friendly options since Sing 2 last Christmas and little else until Lightyear on June 17, and you have (if it legs like Rampage and Skull Island) potential for the first $200 million-plus video game movie.
