Sonic the Hedgehog may have arrived in theatres all the way back in February for the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and most other places in the world but the theatrical release of the live-action video game movie was indefinitely delayed in China on account of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since February, Sonic the Hedgehog earned enough at the box office to become the highest-grossing video game movie of all time and the second highest-grossing film of the year. It's said that the video game movie has made about $306 million overall thus far. Thus, Paramount Pictures confirmed a sequel for release in April 2022.
Nonetheless, Sonic the Hedgehog has only just arrived in China. So, how well did the live-action video game movie perform at the box office? Well, you've read the headline; not very well at all. Having recently opened in theatres, Sonic the Hedgehog only made a tiny $1.27 million at the box office (via Toonado).
Local titles topped western blockbusters like Sonic the Hedgehog, Dolittle, and Jojo Rabbit. Overall, the box office for the recent weekend only amassed $17.6 million. This is almost certainly because of restrictions that are in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19. For instance, venues are only allowed to sell 30% of their seats.
What's more, it's believed that anyone in China interested in Sonic the Hedgehog likely would have been able to easily pirate it online seeing as the the movie has been available digitally in most of the world for most of the year.
Sonic the Hedgehog is a live-action adventure comedy based on the global blockbuster videogame franchise from Sega that centers on the infamously brash bright blue hedgehog. The film follows the (mis)adventures of Sonic as he navigates the complexities of life on Earth with his newfound – human – best friend Tom Wachowski (James Marsden). Sonic and Tom join forces to try and stop the villainous Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey) from capturing Sonic and using his immense powers for world domination. The film also stars Tika Sumpter and Ben Schwartz as the voice of Sonic.
Sonic the Hedgehog is out now on Blu-ray, Ultra 4K HD, and digitally.