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The Jim Carrey and Ben Schwartz starrerSonic the Hedgehog 3has opened with a bang on the week before Christmas. The third film in the video-game-based franchise has raced to the top of the box office despite clashing with Disney’sMufasa: The Lion King. While there is still a long way to go,Sonic 3seems to be the clear winner this week.
The film jumps off fromSonic the Hedgehog 2and sees Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles band together to stop a threat like no other. Keanu Reeves joined the already-stacked cast to play Shadow, the antagonist. Jim Carrey also reprised his role as Dr. Ivo Robotnik and pulled double-duty by playing Professor Gerald Robotnik too.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3sprints to the top of the box office beatingMufasa: The Lion King
While it was reportedly in development since the ‘90s and the rights went from Sony to Paramount, the firstSonic the Hedgehogfilm was announced in 2018 with a release date of November 2019 (viaPolygon). However, after the first trailer received negative responses for Sonic’s design, the studio delayed the release by three months to redesign.
Since then, the films have been a surprise hit with the latestSonic the Hedgehog 3already projected to have an incredible opening of $55-60 million at the domestic box office even before its release (viaVariety). While the weekend also saw the limited release of Oscar contenderThe Brutalistand the dramaHomestead,Sonic 3was not the only biggie.
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It faced stiff competition from Disney’sThe Lion Kingfollow-upMufasa: The Lion King. Directed by Barry Jenkins and starring Aaron Pierre, the musical photo realistically animated film had an ensemble cast featuring Kelvin Harrison Jr., John Kani, Seth Rogen, Donald Glover, Billy Eichner, and Beyonce. It also featured original music by Lin-Manuel Miranda.
WhileSonic 3was poised to make good domestically,Mufasareportedly had a better chance internationally (withSonic 3only opening globally next week). Still, the Disney musical was projected to earn $50 million at the domestic box office on opening weekend (via Variety). However,Sonic the Hedgehog 3seems to have outrun the king.
The Hollywood Reportermentioned thatSonic the Hedgehog 3fared better than its projected score with a $62 million opening weekend domestically. The figure also included Thursday night previews, which reportedly netted $6.5 million. It’s clear that both families and general audiences chose to go forSonic 3instead ofMufasa.
TheLion Kingprequel on the other hand seemed to have fared less than expected and clocked in a meagre $35 million domestically. While the Christmas Day weekend might pick up for the film, it seemed to have done badly in Thursday night previews and Friday charts with only a total of $13.3 million as opposed toSonic 3’s $25.6 million by Friday (viaTHR).
How hasSonic the Hedgehog 3fared commercially compared to its prequels?
TheSonic the Hedgehogfilms have always been surprise hits. The first film was released in 2020 after a few months of delay due to severe backlash for the original Sonic design. After the fans and audiences accepted the redesign, the film was released on President’s Day weekend and had a phenomenal opening.
According toDeadline, the first film had a great first day at the box office, collecting over $21 million on its opening day, of which $3 million was for Thursday night previews. The film ended up grossing $70 million over the four-day weekend, beating the record for a video game adaption fromDetective Pikachu.
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The film ended up earning $320 million overall, which was great for the film’s $80-90 million budget (viaBox Office Mojo). The film also reportedly became the highest-grossing superhero film of the year, beating the MCU’s 10-year streak. However, the Marvel franchise did not release any film that year owing to the pandemic (viaScreenRant).
Sonic the Hedgehog 2was released two years later in 2022 and seemed to fare even better. It was released along withAmbulanceandEverything Everywhere All At Onceand emerged at the top of the box office with a reported $71 million opening weekend (viaDeadline). The threequel seems to have fallen short of the second film despite its release in March.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2also beat its predecessor as the highest opening record video game adaptation but was then beaten byThe Super Mario Bros. Movie.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3has failed to reclaim its record despite beatingMufasa: The Lion King.Critically, however, the threequelseems to score higher than part 2, with a currentRotten Tomatoesscore of 87%.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2scored a meagre 69% while the first film scored 64%. The sequel seems to be the highest-grossing film in the franchise at the moment, with a worldwide box office score of $405 million (viaThe Numbers). However,Sonic 3’s run is yet to progress, with the Christmas weekend sure to boost its numbers.
Will there be aSonic the Hedgehog 4?
TheSonic the Hedgehogfranchise is slowly turning out to be a successful IP for Paramount who seem to be interested in more installments from the films. The studio already produced the spinoff seriesKnuckleswhich debuted earlier this year on Paramount+. Actors Idris Elba and Keanu Reeves, who plays Shadow, have also reportedly expressed interest in returning.
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While both Elba and Reeves joked about a Knuckles and Shadow team-up. When asked what his next project would be in theSonicfranchise,Idris Elba said (viaComic Book),
Oh, wow, is there a Sonic 4? You know more than me, my guy. I would say I’d love to do it. Any chance to understand the characters a little bit more, in the different episodes … If [the filmmakers are] in, I’m down.
And now, afterSonic the Hedgehog 3’s phenomenal opening, Paramount has reportedly putSonic 4into development with an aimed release in Spring 2027.Varietyreported that the studio announced the four-quel a day before its release as it projected to earn over $60 million. No other details have been confirmed.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3is currently playing in cinemas whileSonic the Hedgehog 1and2are streaming on Hulu.
Nishanth A
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2417
Nishanth A is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on TV shows with over 2,000 articles published. He has been an entertainment journalist for the past two years and a scriptwriter at various corporations before that, working on educational content. With a Communications, English Literature, and Psychology triple major, Nishanth usually covers news and analyses on Star Trek, particularly Strange New Worlds and The Next Generation; Doctor Who, the DCU, and more.A Nolan fan, Nishanth spends his time exploring the filmographies of various directors with an auteurial style or can be found making short movies of his own. He has also contributed as a feature writer for Film Companion, focusing on the South division.
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Sonic the Hedgehog 3
