鈥淪onic the Hedgehog 2鈥� sped to the top of the charts in its opening weekend, earning an impressive $71 million according to studio estimates Sunday. Paramount鈥檚 PG-rated sequel easily bested the weekend鈥檚 other major newcomer, Michael Bay鈥檚 鈥淎mbulance,鈥� which faltered in theaters.
鈥淪onic 2,鈥� which brings back the first film鈥檚 director, writers and cast, including James Marsden, Jim Carrey and Ben Schwartz, who voices the blue video game character, opened in 4,234 locations and actually surpassed its predecessor鈥檚 opening weekend. The first 鈥淪onic the Hedgehog鈥� opened over the Presidents Day holiday weekend in February 2020, earning $58 million in its first three days.
鈥淭he normal pattern domestically is that sequels slide a little bit,鈥� said Chris Aronson, the president of domestic distribution for Paramount. 鈥淏ut we certainly bucked that trend.鈥�
For a sequel to open 22% above the first, Aronson added, is 鈥渜uite remarkable.鈥�
鈥淪onic 2鈥� got mixed to positive reviews from critics and audiences were even more enthusiastic. They gave the CG/live-action hybrid a strong 鈥淎鈥� CinemaScore.
鈥淭he filmmakers did a great job of being in service of not only the general audience but Sonic fans themselves,鈥� Aronson said. 鈥淢any feel it鈥檚 a bigger, better film than the first one.鈥�
It鈥檚 an important weekend not just for the 鈥淪onic鈥� franchise, but for PG-rated family films too. Comscore senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian said that one of the big questions of the pandemic was whether families would return to movie theaters with seemingly limitless viewing options available at home. According to exit polls, families made up 58% of the 鈥淪onic 2鈥� audience.
鈥淭here鈥檚 been some indication that they wanted to go back with movies like 鈥楽ing 2,鈥� but it鈥檚 moved in fits and starts,鈥� said Dergarabedian. 鈥淭his says once and for all that families want to go back. It鈥檚 a really good indicator of things to come for family films in 2022 with 鈥楲ightyear鈥� and the next 鈥楳inions鈥� movie.鈥�
鈥淪onic 2鈥� is also the latest in a string of theatrical hits for Paramount in 2022, including 鈥淪cream,鈥� 鈥淛ackass Forever鈥� and 鈥淭he Lost City,鈥� which is still in the top five.
鈥淎 lot of credit goes to our marketing and distribution teams,鈥� Aronson said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e been judicious about picking our dates and knowing who our audience was for each.鈥�
And their next release could be their biggest yet. 鈥淭op Gun: Maverick鈥� opens on May 27.
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Meanwhile, 鈥淎mbulance鈥� got off to a bumpy start in its first weekend. With an estimated $8.7 million in grosses, it opened behind Sony鈥檚 鈥淢orbius,鈥� down 74% in weekend two, and 鈥淭he Lost City.鈥� Bay鈥檚 nail-biter about a botched bank robbery was released by Universal and stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Eiza Gonz谩lez.
Its tepid launch proved a head-scratcher for many. Reviews weren鈥檛 terrible (it鈥檚 at a 69% on Rotten Tomatoes versus 鈥淪onic 2鈥檚鈥� 67%) and on paper 鈥淎mbulance鈥� appears to be the kind of throwback, big screen blockbuster spectacle that would draw significant crowds to the theaters.
鈥淭his is a filmmaker who will forever be looked at as a blockbuster director, whether you like his movies or not. The bar is always raised for someone like that,鈥� Dergarabedian said. 鈥淏ut this is a different kind of movie and I think that鈥檚 why we鈥檙e seeing these numbers. It鈥檚 not trying to be 鈥楾ransformers.鈥� If Bay鈥檚 name wasn鈥檛 on it, expectations wouldn鈥檛 be as high.鈥�
鈥淪onic 2鈥� wasn鈥檛 the only success of the weekend. A24鈥檚 critical darling 鈥淓verything Everywhere All At Once鈥� expanded nationwide in its third weekend in theaters and earned $6.1 million from only 1,250 screens.
鈥淎24 has done a spectacular job of rolling it out on a platform release and building buzz,鈥� Dergarabedian said.
The film, directed by the Daniels and starring Michelle Yeoh, will expand to more theaters in the coming weeks.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. 鈥淪onic the Hedgehog 2,鈥� $71 million.
2. 鈥淢orbius,鈥� $10.2 million.
3. 鈥淭he Lost City,鈥� $9.2 million.
4. 鈥淎mbulance,鈥� $8.7 million.
5. 鈥淭he Batman,鈥� $6.5 million.
6. 鈥淓verything Everywhere All At Once,鈥� $6.1 million.
7. 鈥淯ncharted,鈥� $2.7 million.
8. 鈥淛ujutsu Kaisen 0,鈥� $825,000.
9. 鈥淪pider-Man: No Way Home,鈥� $625,000.
10. 鈥淩RR,鈥� $570,000.
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Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press
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