Sonic the Hedgehog has officially raced past Detective Pikachu at the domestic box office to become the highest-grossing video game adaptation in the United States. Back in February, Sonic opened to a far better-than-expected $57 million over its first three days and notched the best opening for a video game adaptation. Since then, Sonic has managed to remain a box office success. The positive response to the film is likely due to director Jeff Fowler's decision to push Sonic's release date back so the title character's design could be altered following fan backlash.
Sonic's new box office milestone comes as the entertainment industry finds itself in disarray. The widespread outbreak of the coronavirus has led to great deal of uncertainty, leading many studios to delay upcoming releases and shut down ongoing productions. Films like Mulan, A Quiet Place Part II, F9, and No Time to Die have all seen their release dates moved, while studios like Disney and Universal have opted to halt production on future films. The overall box office results for the weekend were dismal, with the weekend total dipping to a twenty-year low.
Despite all that, Sonic has managed to provide some positive news for Paramount. After earning $2.58 million for the weekend, Sonic's new domestic total stands at $145.8 million, which just barely puts it past the final domestic earnings of Detective Pikachu (via Forbes). By the end of its run, Detective Pikachu had raked in $144.1 million. When it comes to worldwide numbers, Detective Pikachu still has the upper hand, having earned $433 million compared to Sonic's $306.5 million total. However, Sonic is also working with less international territories, as its China release date was delayed due to coronavirus.
This makes Sonic the highest-grossing video game adaptation domestically (when not adjusting for inflation). More often than not, video game-based movies struggle at the box office regardless of how popular the already-established property is. However, Detective Pikachu and Sonic have proven that if made well, video game movies can succeed and even over-perform.
While Sonic likely won't manage to top Detective Pikachu at the worldwide box office, it can still be considered a hit that did better than many were expecting. A sequel hasn't officially been announced, but it's clear Paramount was hoping Sonic would become a franchise-starter, as evidenced by the post-credits scene. Sonic managed to slide into theaters at the exact right time, allowing it to make the bulk of its money before theaters started restricting the size of their crowds. While the rest of the film industry may be struggling, Sonic the Hedgehog has reason to celebrate.
Source: Forbes