OPENINGS: The first Sonic the Hedgehog had the final pre-pandemic smash opening in 2020 before theaters started to close, with $58M for its 3-day weekend ($70M for the full Presidents Day holiday). Now SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2 (Paramount) has gotten off to an even bigger start with $71M for 3 days. Although the success of Sonic is being hailed as a sign that families are once again flocking to theaters, actually the key to the franchise is that it straddles a family audience with young male gamers–as a comparison, Sonic 2 had 61% male ticket buyers over the weekend, while the more conventionally targeted Encanto was at 37%. So Sonic 2 doesn’t really change very much from what we already knew, that the 18-34 audience is dominating the industry right now. Still, a hit is very much a hit, and Sonic 2 should handily beat the $149M US box office of its predecessor. Overseas, Sonic 2 has $70M after a $37M weekend in 53 markets.
AMBULANCE (Universal) confirmed something else we already knew about the current box office: the older audience is still largely absent. Michael Bay’s non-franchise action thriller opened with a dim $8.7M, and although production costs were low, the studio reportedly made a high marketing commitment, so the film is unlikely to push out of red ink. Things were a bit brighter overseas, with $22.4M in 68 territories.
EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE (A24) expanded into wide release at 1250 theaters with a strong $6.1M, giving it a per-theater weekend average almost double the one for Ambulance. (As usual with A24, the studio’s weekend estimate assumes a low Saturday-to-Sunday drop.) Everything is making its case that it’s as much action and genre as “arthouse,” and the plan is for it to continue to expand.
While FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE SECRETS OF DUMBLEDORE (Warners) arrives in the US next week, it’s premiered in 22 international markets with $58M. That leaves much of the world still open, but it’s a worrisome sign that Fantastic 3 opened at $8M in the UK, where its immediate predecessor started with $15.8M, considering that 71% of that film’s worldwide total was earned overseas.
HOLDOVERS: To no one’s particular surprise, MORBIUS (Marvel/Columbia/Sony) cratered in its 2nd weekend, plunging 74% to $10.2M. It may not get past $85M in the US, and with 2 years of marketing costs piled onto its production budget, it seems unlikely to surpass breakeven. Overseas, it has $69.3M after a $15M weekend.
THE LOST CITY (Paramount) dipped 38% to $9.2M in its 3rd weekend, hoping to reach $100M in the US. It still hasn’t begun most of its international release, with $9.7M thus far.
THE BATMAN (DC/Warners) dropped 41% to $6.6M in its 6th weekend, on track for $380M in the US, and with $376.1M overseas.
UNCHARTED (Columbia/Sony) had the best hold in the Top 10, down 28% to $2.7M in Weekend 8, as it continued toward $150M in the US. The overseas total is $240.5M.
LIMITED RELEASE: The documentary VIVA MAESTRO (Greenwich) opened with a $7200 weekend per-theater average at 2 NY/LA arthouses. ALINE (Roadside) averaged a bit over $300 at 61.
NEXT WEEKEND: The Christian-aimed FATHER STU (Sony) arrives on Wednesday for a long Easter weekend, and then as noted, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore reaches the US.
About the Author
