Box Office: ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 2’ Rings in $67 Million Plus Projected Opening, ‘Ambulance’ Stalling
variety.comJ. Kim Murphy As the box office opens two films featuring high-octane speedsters this weekend, one has emerged a clear victor.
Paramount’s “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” looks to top the charts this weekend with an impressive opening between $67 million to $69 million, while Universal’s R-rated actioner “Ambulance” will likely fail to clear double digits.“Sonic” unleashed on the box office on Thursday to the tune of $6.3 million in previews and has only gained steam since, playing in 4,234 locations.
The Sega sequel is outperforming its 2020 predecessor, which opened to $58 million at a time when COVID-19 was still a nebulous threat to most North Americans.
That “Sonic 2” is opening even stronger isn’t only good news for Paramount’s hunt for sustainable IP, but it also shows that family audiences are largely ready to return to movie theaters for the right movie. “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” stars funnyman Ben Schwartz as the voice of the titular video game character, with Idris Elba joining the series as the voice of the villain Knuckles the Echidna.
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