Paramount Pictures’ Sonic The Hedgehog has earned the highest-grossing domestic opening ever for a video game movie, Deadline reports.
The film racked up $57 million in the U.S. over the weekend, moving it past the $54.3 million opening of the release of Pokémon Detective Pikachu.
The movie’s four-day projection continues to rise as well, with the latest estimates pointing to earnings of at least $68 million.
Internationally, Sonic The Hedgehog did not break records, but it has still earned an impressive $100 million thus far. Fellow video game flicks Pokémon Detective Pikachu and Warcraft brought in larger numbers overall.
But the movie’s outcome could have been much worse given its early issues. Fans were initially horrified last year when the film’s trailer showed a terrifying version of Sonic complete with human teeth. Listening to the feedback, Paramount opted to redesign the character to make him more true to his video game form.
While the move undoubtedly cost Paramount money given that the film’s debut was pushed back by three months, the decision appears to have paid off.
Video game movies have often been disastrous as production companies have struggled to appease both die-hard fans and moviegoers alike. So far, Sonic The Hedgehog appears to have achieved the perfect balance, which has earned it an admirable 63% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes and a whopping 95% from fans.
“Fittingly fleet and frequently fun, Sonic The Hedgehog is a video game-inspired adventure the whole family can enjoy — and a fine excuse for Jim Carrey to tap into the manic energy that launched his career,” Rotten Tomatoes notes.
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H/T Deadline