When two films with high-octane speedsters open at the box office this weekend, one of them emerged as the clear winner. Paramount’s Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is set to top the charts this weekend with an impressive start near $67-69 million, while Universal’s R-rated actioner Ambulance is unlikely to hit double digits.
“Sonic” hit the box office Thursday with $6.3 million in previews and has since only picked up steam, playing 4,234 locations. Sega’s sequel tops its 2020 predecessor, which opened at $58 million at a time when COVID-19 was still a nebulous threat to most North Americans. That “Sonic 2” has an even stronger start is not only good news for Paramount’s hunt for sustainable intellectual property, but also shows that family audiences are largely ready to return to theaters for the right movie.
In Sonic the Hedgehog 2, comedian Ben Schwartz voices the titular video game character, while Idris Elba joins the series as the voice of villain Knuckles the Echidna. Colleen O’Shaughnessey, who has regularly voiced Tails the Fox in the video game series, reprises the role of Sonic’s sidekick for the film. The live-action cast includes Jim Carrey as Dr. Robotnik and James Marsden as Sheriff Tom Wachowski, plus Tika Sumpter, Natasha Rothwell, Adam Pally, Shemar Moore, Lee Majdoub and Tom Butler.
Sonic 2 has received mixed reviews and currently holds a 67% on Rotten Tomatoes. Variety’s Peter Debruge wrote that the film “takes what was endearing about the original — in a word, personality — and makes it generic in a hurry.” However, the speed demon’s second run was positively received by audiences, with the film earning a CinemaScore rating received from “A”, indicating a resounding enthusiasm from the general audience. With a big premiere and great word of mouth, Paramount should have no trouble recouping the film’s $90 million production budget.
While the blue blur shows a brighter side of the box office recovery from the COVID-19 lockdowns, Universal’s “Ambulance” may ultimately prove to be a cautionary tale. Action fan Michael Bay’s R-rated Demolition Derby is unlikely to hit double figures when it opens, landing fourth on the domestic charts with a projected $8.1 million from 2,374 venues. That’s hardly a winning start for a budding crowd pleaser, even if it’s carrying a modest $40 million production budget.
“Ambulance” had many factors in its favor before it opened. The film features a diverse leading trio of beloved stars – Jake Gyllenhaal, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Eiza González – as well as some of the strongest reviews of Michael Bay’s career. Audiences have largely agreed, giving it a CinemaScore rating of “A-” and the film has locked IMAX format auditoriums for a week, opening up the possibility of premium ticket prices. Still, a sub-$10 million opening suggests adult audiences will be more discerning about which releases hit theaters after the age of pandemic lockdowns.
“Ambulance” follows adoptive siblings (Gyllenhaal and Abdul-Mateen II) who steal an ambulance to escape a bank robbery. In his review, Variety’s Owen Gleiberman wasn’t overly receptive, writing that “‘Ambulance’ is just too much of a not-so-good thing. It never stops huffing and puffing to keep you entertained, but it’s joyless: an escape story that’s far from a great escape, for for all her movement, she goes through the motions.”
Meanwhile, all is not well in comic book filmland. Columbia Pictures’ Morbius is on track to gross $10 million on its second theatrical release. That’s a 75% drop from the previous outing — a fundamental meltdown for a would-be franchise starter. Entry into the studio’s self-branded Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters was all but blasted by critics ahead of release. Given the steep week-on-week decline, audiences don’t seem impressed either.
“Morbius” was expected to boost its domestic gross to over $56 million by Sunday. Jared Leto’s vehicle has already surpassed $100 million worldwide, exceeding the film’s $75 production budget, though a long string of release delays due to COVID-19 likely put that number in for Sony has driven up. With viewership of the vampire action film already exhausted, one has to wonder if ticket buyers would mobilize for a Morbius 2.
However, there is still one superhero success story at the box office, and its name is Revenge. Warner Bros. “The Batman” was expected to peak at number five at the box office in its sixth weekend of release. The DC adaptation grossed an additional $1.75 million on Friday, taking its domestic gross to over $354 million. The Batman far surpasses all other domestic releases in 2022 as the highest-grossing film of the year. It should continue to build its standing before hitting HBO Max at the end of the month.
Paramount’s “The Lost City” is aiming for bronze with a prospective weekend of $9.25 million. The Sandra Bullock-Channing Tatum two-hander has performed respectably since its debut and is expected to take its domestic gross to over $68 million by Sunday — a figure in line with the film’s reported production budget. Paramount probably would have wished for higher numbers by now, although the film remains one of the biggest romantic comedies of recent years.
In other news, A24 expanded its Michelle Yeoh sci-fi discombobulator Everything Everywhere All at Once this weekend, adding 1,212 theaters after two weeks of limited release. The critically acclaimed independent release was expected to gross $5.6 million by Sunday – good for sixth on the domestic charts.
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