What just happened? Sega's furry blue mascot has delivered once again. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 wrapped up its domestic box office opening weekend run with $71 million in ticket sales, setting a new record in the process.
The original Sonic the Hedgehog generated $58 million domestically at the box office on opening weekend when it premiered in early 2020 right before the pandemic started shutting everything down. The haul set a new high mark for a film based on a video game, a category that studios have historically struggled with.
The record would stand until this past weekend when Sonic 2 took the crown.
In the grand scheme of things, Sonic 2's strong opening weekend is proof positive that things may finally be getting back to normal.
The movie industry took an absolute beating during the pandemic and it seemed at times that the traditional film distribution model wasn't long for this world. To its credit, the industry did its best to adapt to the unprecedented times in an effort to stay afloat.
Of the few new movies that trickled out during the pandemic, many were made available on-demand to stream at home. Theater owners, meanwhile, resorted to screening classic blockbuster films at reduced rates. Some even rented out entire auditoriums for private screenings.
Paramount has already confirmed that a third Sonic movie is in the works alongside a live-action TV series. The latter will premiere on the Paramount+ streaming service sometime in 2023, we're told.
Image credit Sparks Reliance