Paramount Pictures and Sega’s “Sonic the Hedgehog 2" zoomed to the top of the domestic box office this weekend, launching at $71 million according to estimates from measurement firm Comscore. The animated film has shattered early box office projections, which maxed out around $60 million.
Demoted to second place was Sony and Marvel’s “Morbius,” which suffered a steep 74% drop in its sophomore weekend, adding $10.2 million for a North American cumulative of $57.1 million. Arriving in fourth place was Universal Pictures’ “Ambulance,” which opened to $8.8 million.
In “Sonic the Hedgehog 2,” the titular furry blue protagonist (voiced by Ben Schwartz) faces an equally fluffy new threat, Knuckles the Echidna (Idris Elba), who has joined Dr. Robotnik’s (Jim Carrey) ongoing quest conquer Earth. The family adventure also stars James Marsden, Colleen O’Shaughnessey and Tika Sumpter.
Directed by Jeff Fowler, the cartoon sequel fared significantly better than its predecessor, which debuted at $58 million domestically in February 2020. On review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes, the second “Sonic” earned a middling 67% rating, but scored a glowing A grade from audiences polled by CinemaScore.
Helmed by Michael Bay, “Ambulance” is a remake of the 2005 Danish crime drama of the same name starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Eiza Gonzalez. The action flick posted a mediocre 69% on Rotten Tomatoes but drew a decent A-minus from audiences polled by CinemaScore.
Expanding to wide release this weekend was A24’s “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” which finished in sixth place and grossed $6.1 million for a North American cumulative of $8.4 million. Directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, the zany sci-fi epic starring Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, Ke Huy Quan, James Hong and Jamie Lee Curtis notched an excellent 97% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Rounding out the top five are Paramount Pictures’ “The Lost City,” which added $9.2 million in its third weekend for a North American cumulative of $68.9 million, and Warner Bros. and DC’s “The Batman,” which amassed $6.5 million in its sixth weekend for a North American cumulative of $359 million.
Opening wide next weekend is Warner Bros. “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore,” the latest installment in the “Harry Potter” spinoff franchise.
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