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Sonic the Hedgehog 2 outran the competition at the box office — and even its own predecessor. The first Sonic the Hedgehog opened in theaters in the spring of 2020 and grossed a very respectable $58 million in its first three days of release. Now Sonic 2 is here, and it’s done even better in theaters. It opened to an estimated $71 million in American ticket sales.
Sonic was one of the last hits in theaters before the Covid pandemic began to close multiplexes around the world, so the fact that Sonic 2 is off to an even better start is a very good sign for the movie and for the franchise. (A Sonic the Hedgehog 3 seems inevitable at this point.) The latest film brought back Jim Carrey as the evil Dr. Robotnik, along with Ben Schwartz as the voice of the speedy Sonic. It also introduced movie versions of Sonic’s buddy Tails and the menacing Knuckles the Echidna, voiced by Idris Elba.
The news was much less positive for Ambulance, the new action film from director Michael Bay. For Bay, this was something of a return to form, with critics praising the movie — it has a 69 percent on Rotten Tomatoes — and calling it his best film in years. But audiences didn’t care; the movie grossed just $8.7 million over the weekend, trailing not only Sonic 2 but also Morbius and The Lost City, which have both been in theaters for several weeks at this point. (The only plus for Ambulance is that it was relatively inexpensive to make, costing a reported $40 million to produce). It’s on track for the worst opening weekend of Michael Bay’s entire career.
Here’s the full top 5 at the weekend box office (via Box Office Mojo):
- Sonic the Hedgehog 2 – $71 million
- Morbius – $10.2 million
- The Lost City – $9.1 million
- Ambulance – $8.7 million
- The Batman – $6.5 million
So to recap, Michael Bay makes a really satisfying action movie and it barely grossed a tenth as much as the second Sonic the Hedgehog. The movies!
Every Video Game Movie Ever Made, Ranked From Worst to Best
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