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.
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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.
Source: NDTV Profit
