Box Office: Sonic the Hedgehog Races to $100 Million Opening, Arrives February 28 in India

Lower than Detective Pikachu, but without the help of China (coronavirus) and Japan (delayed release).

By Akhil Arora | Updated: 17 February 2020 11:05 IST

Box Office: Sonic the Hedgehog Races to $100 Million Opening, Arrives February 28 in India

Photo Credit: Paramount Pictures/Sega

Sonic in Sonic the Hedgehog

Highlights

Sonic the Hedgehog release date in India is February 28
Long way to go to become biggest adaptation ($439 million)
Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey has now made $145.3 million

It's yet to race into India, but Sonic the Hedgehog — the new live-action animation hybrid movie based on the eponymous video game character — has already collected 100 million rings globally. The Sega mascot's film brought in an estimated $100 million (about Rs. 714 crores) over the weekend, giving it one of the best ever openings for a video game adaptation. Last year's Pokémon: Detective Pikachu leads with $160 million. But Sonic the Hedgehog did that without the help of China, where the film doesn't have a release date owing to COVID-19 coronavirus concerns, and Japan, where it opens in March. Meanwhile, Birds of Prey garnered $40.1 million (about Rs. 286 crores) in its second weekend.

Of the estimated $100 million, Sonic the Hedgehog earned $57 million (about Rs. 407 crores) in the US and Canada in the first three days, which is a better domestic performance than Pokémon: Detective Pikachu. The remaining $43 million (about Rs. 307 crores) came in from 40 markets in the rest of the world, led by Mexico ($6.7 million) and followed by the likes of the UK ($6.2 million), France ($4.3 million), Germany ($3.3 million), Brazil ($3 million), Australia ($2.8 million), Spain ($2 million), Italy ($1.9 million), Ukraine ($1 million) and Colombia ($1 million). Sonic the Hedgehog has yet to open in Russia (February 20), India (February 28), and Japan (March 27) among others.

The video game movie is expected to go up to $68 million (about Rs. 485 crores) by the end of Monday — Presidents' Day — which is a national holiday in the US. That would take its global tally to $111 million (about Rs. 793 crores). But it has a long fight to get on the podium, which is currently rounded out by Warcraft ($439 million), Pokémon: Detective Pikachu ($433 million), and Rampage ($428 million). It doesn't have the critical appreciation to sustain that run — 63 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, and a 46 score on Metacritic — though that hasn't stopped video game adaptations in the past. Of the other three, only Detective Pikachu has a fresh rating.

Birds of Prey Review: Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn Still Needs Emancipation

As for Birds of Prey's $40.1 million second weekend performance, an estimated $17.1 million (about Rs. 122 crores) came in from the US and Canada — expected to go up to $19.6 million (about Rs. 140 crores) by the end of Monday — with the remaining estimated $23 million (about Rs. 164 crores) from 78 other markets. That pushes its worldwide total to $145.3 million (about Rs. 1,038 crores). In India, Birds of Prey has made over $619,000 (about Rs. 4.42 crores).

Sonic the Hedgehog releases February 28 in India. Birds of Prey — now retitled to Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey — is playing everywhere.

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Further reading: Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog movie, Paramount Pictures, Viacom18, Viacom 18, Viacom18 Motion Pictures, Birds of Prey, Birds of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), DCEU, DC Comics, Warner Bros