Warning: This contains spoilers for Sonic The Hedgehog 2.
Sonic The Hedgehog 2 is already proving to be a box office hit for Paramount, and there's more than just one reason why the movie is doing so well when compared to other video game adaptations. Sonic 2 brings back Ben Schwartz in the role of pop culture's most famous hedgehog along with Jim Carrey’s Dr. Robotnik in a sequel that dives deeper into the franchise's lore. In addition to returning characters, Sonic 2 adds the fan-favorite Knuckles, voiced by Idris Elba, as well as Miles "Tails" Prower, voiced by the character's long-time actress Colleen O'Shaughnessey.
Sonic 2 had the difficult mission to carry on the first film's great reception and solid box office, and it looks like it will deliver on that matter. Sonic The Hedgehog 2 has opened in the US with $71 million, making it the biggest opening weekend for a video game adaptation in history. The previous record was held by Sonic The Hedgehog, which opened with $58 million. Internationally, Sonic 2 was released a week early in some territories, leading to a $141 million worldwide debut altogether. Factoring in the sequel's slightly improved Rotten Tomatoes score, Sonic 2 has all the ingredients to surpass the first movie.
Such a strong opening weekend for a movie, especially a video game adaptation, does not happen by chance. The Sonic films are slowly establishing the brand as a solid movie franchise, largely because they have found a perfect balance between pleasing game players while also making the story receptive to new audiences. Hollywood video games adaptations have always created this dichotomy between what can and cannot work in live-action, which a lot of times led to core elements from the games being lost in the process. Even Detective Pikachu, the previous record holder for the best opening weekend before the first Sonic, chose not to go for the more classic Pokemon stories of tournaments and battles and instead adapted a detective story.
The Sonic movies aren’t afraid to go deep into the lore of the games despite still being a grounded, modern adaptation. The mixture of high profile actors like Jim Carrey, a charismatic “human cast” led by James Marsden, the addition of fan-favorite names from the games like Knuckles and Tails, and the success of the previous film made Sonic 2 a must-see for lots of different audiences, which helps explain it's success at the box office.
The reason for Sonic The Hedgehog 2’s box office performance also lies in the simplicity of the film. Despite significantly expanding the world of the first Sonic, a movie that found a grounded explanation even for Jim Carrey's Dr. Robotnik extravaganza, Sonic 2 is still an accessible, straightforward adventure that works for different demographics and doesn't try to bite off more than it can chew. Sequels to huge IPs like Sonic often try to take too big of a leap in terms of what the franchise has to offer, and that can lead to a Mortal Kombat: Annihilation type of disaster. While some reviews have criticized Sonic 2 for being too much like the first movie in terms of structure, the family element can help in the reception of the film, especially considering that families and children represent a large part of the target audience.
Sonic The Hedgehog 2's record-breaking box office performance is a testament to the newly born franchise's qualities and potential. Video game adaptations are among the most difficult genres for Hollywood to nail, but Sonic films are showing the way. With a Knuckles spin-off show announced and plans for a Sonic cinematic universe, the success of Sonic The Hedgehog 2 could be just the beginning of the franchise's impact on pop culture.