Update: “Sonic” is now tracking for a $71 million opening, while “Morbius” fell 74% to $10.1 million, and “Ambulance” debuted to $8.7 million.
Original: Paramount Pictures’ “Sonic the Hedgehog” sequel looks to be exceeding expectations and is on track for a $67-69 million domestic opening weekend.
The PG-rated sequel scored $7 million in Thursday previews followed by a further $19.5 million on Friday. Its high-60s debut makes it one of the few films of the pandemic era to open ahead of its predecessor which debuted in February 2020 to $58 million.
Not fairing so well is Michael Bay’s new film “Ambulance” starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. That film pulled in $3.2 million on Friday and is on track for a domestic debut of just $8.1 million – and that’s with a big marketing push in IMAX.
The film is expected to open in fourth place, behind even the second weekend of “Morbius” which is expected to drop a major 75% to $9.9 million in its second outing following a Friday single day of 83%. Paramount’s “The Lost City” is tracking for third place in its third weekend.
Both “Sonic 2” and “Ambulance” pulled mixed/positive reviews from critics but has done well with audiences with A and A- CinemaScore’s respectively. Speciality theater darling “Everything Everywhere All At Once” goes wide and is expected to come in sixth with $6 million.
“Uncharted” is on track to hit $378 million worldwide by weekend’s end, surpassing the overseas gross of “Eternals” and will beat the global gross of “Black Widow” by Monday. It’s also just a few million shy of surpassing the total domestic gross of the first “Sonic the Hedgehog”. “The Batman” meanwhile will hit $726 million globally, surpassing David Ayer’s “Suicide Squad” ($725 million).
Source: THR
