Sometimes I'm thrilled when I can't call the box office. Prior to the release of SONIC THE HEDGEHOG, I really thought it wouldn't make much of an impression, especially given the early backlash to the original look of the character before changes were made. By the end of the weekend, SONIC THE HEDGEHOG was defying all the odds and breaking records at the box, good news that Paramount Pictures really needed after a series of expensive flops.
With a gross of $70 million over the long Presidents Day weekend, the opening gives Paramount their biggest opening since MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FALLOUT over 18 months ago. It's three-day gross of $58 million also gives it the biggest opening weekend for a video game adaptation, besting the $54.3 million start of DETECTIVE PIKACHU from last year. SONIC THE HEDGEHOG certainly wasn't a sure thing given the initial polarizing reaction to the first trailer but Paramout did what a lot of studios don't do when it comes to fan backlash: they listened.
This is a big reason why the studio has a reason to celebrate this weekend. I'm not saying that all fan outcry needs to be taken as gospel but the original look for the character was decidedly off and considering the brand has been a part of the pop culture landscape for so long, I think Paramount really took the complaints to heart did the right thing by owning up to not getting it right and fixing the problem. The film was set to be released in November of last year but the redesign of the character pushed it to the Presidents Day frame and the long holiday weekend was probably an even better alternative for the family-friendly film.
To say Paramount needed this would be an understatement. Last year, the studios highest-grossing film domestically was ROCKETMAN which ended its run at $96.4 million. That's a respectable gross for a musical biopic but when you're releasing several high-profile releases during the calendar year, the figured can seem a little small in comparison to ther studios. The studio banked on two Will Smith's being worth the price of one with the release of GEMINI MAN but the film failed at the box office, grossing $48.5 million at the domestically off of a budget of $138 million, not including marketing costs. The international showing of $124.9 million wasn't enough to justify the spend on this one and it was quickly deemed a flopped.
Things became even more dire for the studio less than a month later with the release of TERMINATOR: DARK FATE in November. An estimated $185 million was spent on the sequel and the film tapped out at a mere $62.2 million domestically. The film performed healthier than GEMINI MAN internationally but the $198.8 million overseas gross for Linda Hamilton's return didn't justify all the money that was left on the table.
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG could've easily gone this route but the film, starring James Marsden, Jim Carrey, Tika Sumpter and the vocal talent of Ben Schwartz as the title character, really tapped into fan nostalgia and was just a fun option for families over the holiday weekend. I don't take pride in watching movies fail so seeing this success and how much Paramount needed it, is a win in my eyes.
The goodwill should continue for the studio this year with other potential box office hits such as A QUIET PLACE PART II, THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SPONGE ON THE RUN & TOP GUN: MAVERICK all on the way. Just remember this fun fact: it wasn't two Will Smith's or Arnold Schwarzenegger that turned it around for Paramount but it was a little blue guy from a video game that collects rings that brought in the dough.
Were YOU surprised to see SONIC THE HEDGEHOG do so well?