As a lifelong gamer and a child of the ’90s, I can’t help but feel a surge of nostalgia as I watch Sonic the Hedgehog 3 dominate the box office with its impressive $62 million debut. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen a video game adaptation do this well!
In an early holiday surprise, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 outperformed predictions by earning a $62 million opening in U.S. cinemas. This is the strongest start for a PG-rated film in December since The Chronicles of Narnia: The Witch, the Lion and the Wardrobe back in 2005, which predates inflation adjustments by nearly 20 years.
Beating Sonic 3 was no walk in the park, given it squared off against Disney, the powerhouse producer of family-friendly PG movies. After racking up a series of massive victories this year, they stumbled slightly with Mufasa: The Lion King, which underperformed expectations by quite a margin, debuting domestically with just $35 million. (As a gamer, I’d say it was Sonic 3 that scored the unexpected victory here!)
Over the upcoming weekend, it was anticipated that “Sonic 3” would surpass “Mufasa” domestically, with projections indicating an opening of around $60 million for the former and $50 million for the latter. However, the difference in earnings turned out to be more substantial than projected, as both families and general audiences flocked to see “Sonic”, a movie adaptation of Sega’s popular video game.
In Sonic 3, director Jeff Fowler reassembles actors Jim Carrey, Ben Schwartz, James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, Idris Elba, Colleen O’Shaughnessey, Natasha Rothwell, Shemar Moore, Adam Pally and Lee Majdoub once more. Keanu Reeves, seamlessly fitting into the storyline, is introduced as Shadow the Hedgehog, while newcomers to the series Alyla Browne and Krysten Ritter also make their appearance.
The picture has received acclaim from critics, achieving a record-breaking 88% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes (which is higher than the initial two films’ ratings of 64% and 68%, respectively). Additionally, it boasts an exceptional 98% audience score on RT’s Popcornmeter. Furthermore, it garnered an A grade from CinemaScore and impressive exits according to PostTrak.
The narrative revolves around Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails joining forces to confront their strongest enemy yet – a formidable foe with powers never encountered before. Overpowered in every aspect, Team Sonic looks for an unconventional partnership to prevent Shadow from wreaking havoc and saving the planet.
In contrast, the second Sonic movie earned $5 million during pre-releases and went on to open with $72.1 million. But unlike March, the holiday season presents a completely different scenario.
Disney anticipates that the character Mufasa will experience increased viewership as the Christmas holiday season progresses, particularly on days equivalent to Saturdays or Sundays. Additionally, it benefits from being played on the Imax circuit and a wide range of other high-end, large format cinemas. The studio is encouraging audiences to watch the film in 3D.
The movie didn’t have a strong debut overseas as expected, earning $87.2 million compared to the projected $180 million worldwide and $125 million from international box offices (with domestic earnings of $55 million factored in). Instead, it managed to pull in only $122.2 million globally.
2019’s “The Lion King” earned over $1 billion worldwide, but it received mixed criticism, with a 56% rating on Rotten Tomatoes compared to the original’s 51%. However, audiences seem more enthused, awarding it an A- CinemaScore and Popcornmeter score of 88%. Additionally, it is receiving strong approval from kids and parents on PostTrak. In simpler terms, although The Lion King (2019) made a lot of money globally, critics were not entirely positive about it, but audiences seem to have enjoyed it more than the initial movie did.
Worldwide, Mufasa fell significantly short of expectations, with projected earnings of $125 million per premiere and a total global opening of $180 million not being achieved.
In the summer of 2019, The Lion King had a successful debut, earning approximately $23 million during pre-release screenings and eventually grossing over $191 million in the United States.
Barry Jenkins is the director of the film, while Lin-Manuel Miranda contributes original songs. This is an origin story, titled “Mufasa, ” which is rich in music, that narrates the story of two young cubs, Mufasa and Taka, who quickly form a strong bond resembling brotherhood. However, their friendship is put to the test when a dangerous adversary arises, compelling them to embark on an unforeseen journey that will alter their destinies and deepen their friendship.
Combining real-world cinematography with lifelike digital effects, this film boasts a talented voice acting ensemble that includes Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr., John Kani, Tiffany Boone, Kagiso Lediga, Preston Nyman, and Mads Mikkelsen, along with several others.
Over Thanksgiving weekend, hit movies like “Wicked” (Universal) and the upcoming sequel “Moana 2” (Disney) remained popular in the top spots. Coming in fifth was “Homestead,” a post-apocalyptic film from Angel Studios, known for producing “Sound of Freedom.
More to come.
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2024-12-22 19:54