Paramount’s Sonic The Hedgehog 2 has crossed the $400M threshold at the global box office, including $190.6M from domestic and $209.5M internationally through Tuesday. It is currently the No. 8 film worldwide in 2022 and is likely to jump up a few notches as it still has Japan and Hong Kong to release. At Paramount’s CineEurope presentation today, a threequel was touted.
The little blue critter’s sequel initially got off to a fast-breaking early overseas start in late March and added markets over several months.
Its Top 5 offshore markets to date are the UK ($34.3M), Mexico ($22.1M), France ($17.3M), Australia ($16.6M) and Brazil ($12M).
Domestically, Sonic 2 debuted in April with $71M, outstripping the three-day opening results of the 2020 original movie which had bowed over a holiday weekend.
The first film ultimately grossed $171M overseas and nearly $320M global, but also got its legs cut short as the Coronavirus crisis was just beginning. It ended up as the No. 6 movie worldwide in 2020, and No. 3 for the Hollywood studios.
Said Par’s President, Worldwide Marketing & Distribution, Marc Weinstock, “With Sonic The Hedgehog 2, our filmmakers and producing partners delivered the high-quality theatrical experience that the whole family had been waiting for, and we are thrilled with the enthusiastic global response to the characters and world we have created out of the beloved Sonic IP.”
Added Daria Cercek, Co-President, Paramount Motion Picture Group, “This milestone demonstrates that audiences are hungry for great family entertainment, and that when we deliver on world-class, enduring franchises, crowds deliver in theaters. We can’t wait to expand the Sonic universe further and bring more exciting stories to fans with the next film installment and the upcoming Paramount+ series.”
The Jeff Fowler-directed pic is based on the beloved video game franchise from Sega, and finds Sonic now settled in Green Hills and eager to prove he has what it takes to be a true hero. His test comes when Dr. Robotnik returns with a new partner, Knuckles, in search of an emerald that has the power to destroy civilizations. Sonic teams up with his own sidekick, Tails, and together they embark on a globe-trotting journey to find the emerald before it falls into the wrong hands.
Returning cast includes James Marsden, Ben Schwartz and Jim Carrey. Also back are Tika Sumpter, Natasha Rothwell, Adam Pally and Lee Majdoub. New additions include Shemar Moore, with Idris Elba as the voice of Knuckles and Colleen O’Shaughnessey as the voice of Tails.
The screenplay is by original scribes Pat Casey, Josh MIller and John Whittington. Producers are Neal H. Moritz, Toby Ascher, Toru Nakahara and Hitoshi Okuno.