A record opening for ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’
In a weekend bookended by Valentine’s Day and Presidents Day, the box office enjoyed an increasingly rare slate of three (out of four) new releases landing among the top five.
Paramount’s “Sonic the Hedgehog” premiered in first place with $58 million and an estimated $70 million through Monday, above analyst forecasts of $40 million to $45 million for the threeday weekend and $50 million to $60 million through the Presidents Day holiday.
Based on the Sega videogame character, the liveaction and CGI hybrid follows Sonic (voiced by Ben Schwartz) and a small-town sheriff, Tom (James Marsden), as they defend a planet under attack by the villain Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey).
It surpassed Warner Bros.’ “Detective Pikachu,” which earned $54.3 million in its three-day 2019 debut, as the highest domestic opening ever for a video-game adaptation.
“Sonic” also topped the global box office, opening in 40 international markets and grossing $43 million for a cumulative of $101 million.
The $87-million film, directed by Jeff Fowler, underwent a major redesign last year after fans reacted negatively to Sonic’s CGI look in a trailer. The effort seems to have paid off — the movie was well-received, with an A CinemaScore and a 63% “fresh” rating on review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes.
In second place, Warner Bros.’ “Birds of Prey” added $17.3 million in its second weekend and is estimated to have earned $19.9 million through Monday.
At No. 3, Sony’s Blumhouse-produced “Fantasy Island” opened with $12.4 million over the weekend and is estimated to earn $14 million through Monday, within range of analyst predictions for the weekend of $12 million to $14 million.
A re-imagining of the ’70s TV series, “Fantasy Island” was directed by Jeff Wadlow and stars Michael Peña as the enigmatic Mr. Roarke, who is tasked with bringing his guests’ fantasies to life at a remote tropical resort.
However, the $7-million picture was poorly received, with a C-minus CinemaScore and a 9% “rotten” score on Rotten Tomatoes.
In fourth place, Universal’s “The Photograph” opened with $12.2 million over the weekend and is estimated to earn $13.3 million through Monday, within range of analyst predictions of $12 million to $14 million.
The romantic drama stars Issa Rae as a woman who falls for a journalist (Lakeith Stanfield) and comes to terms with her estranged photographer mother’s complex past.
Directed by Stella Meghie, the $16-million movie was positively received, with a Bplus CinemaScore and a 76% Rotten Tomatoes rating.
Rounding out the top five, Sony’s “Bad Boys for Life” added $11.5 million in its fifth weekend and was expected to bring in $13 million for Valentine’s Day plus the holiday weekend.
At No. 6, Universal’s “1917” and its three Academy Awards added $9.4 million in its eighth weekend.
In seventh place, Neon’s “Parasite,” buoyed by its best picture, director and original screenplay wins at last week’s Oscars ceremony, added 941 locations and $6.8 million in its 19th weekend.
At No. 8, Sony’s “Jumanji: The Next Level” added $6.7 million in its 10th weekend. In ninth place, Universal’s “Dolittle” added $5.9 million in its fifth weekend.
Rounding out the top 10, Searchlight’s “Downhill” debuted with $4.6 million through the weekend and is estimated to earn $5.1 million through Monday, below analyst projections of $7 million.
A remake of Ruben Östlund’s “Force Majeure,” the black comedy stars Will Ferrell and Julia Louis-Dreyfus as a married couple on the outs. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival to mixed reviews and was poorly received by moviegoers and critics, with a D CinemaScore and a 41% “rotten” rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
This week’s openings include 20th Century Studios’ “The Call of the Wild,” Focus Features’ “Emma” and IFC Films’ “Premature.”