'Sonic' sequel opens at No. 1 as 'Ambulance' stalls

"Sonic the Hedgehog 2" sped to the top of the charts in its opening weekend, earning an impressive $71 million according to studio estimates Sunday. Paramount's PG-rated sequel easily bested the weekend's other major newcomer, Michael Bay's "Ambulance," which faltered in theaters.

"Sonic 2," which brings back the first film's director, writers and cast, including James Marsden, Jim Carrey and Ben Schwartz, who voices the blue video game character, opened in 4,234 locations and actually surpassed its predecessor's opening weekend. The first "Sonic the Hedgehog" opened over the Presidents Day holiday weekend in February 2020, earning $58 million in its first three days.

"The normal pattern domestically is that sequels slide a little bit," said Chris Aronson, the president of domestic distribution for Paramount. "But we certainly bucked that trend."

For a sequel to open 22% above the first, Aronson added, is "quite remarkable."

"Sonic 2" got mixed to positive reviews from critics, but audiences were even more enthusiastic. They gave the CG/live-action hybrid a strong "A" CinemaScore.

"The filmmakers did a great job of being in service of not only the general audience but Sonic fans themselves," Aronson said. "Many feel it's a bigger, better film than the first one."

It's an important weekend not just for the "Sonic" franchise, but for PG-rated family films too. ComScore senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian said that one of the big questions of the pandemic was whether families would return to movie theaters with seemingly limitless viewing options available at home. According to exit polls, families made up 58% of the "Sonic 2" audience.

"There's been some indication that they wanted to go back with movies like 'Sing 2,' but it's moved in fits and starts," said Dergarabedian. "This says once and for all that families want to go back."

Meanwhile, "Ambulance" got off to a bumpy start in its first weekend. With an estimated $8.7 million in grosses, it opened behind Sony's "Morbius," down 74% in weekend two, and "The Lost City." Bay's nail-biter about a botched bank robbery was released by Universal and stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Eiza González.

Its tepid launch proved a head-scratcher for many. Reviews weren't terrible (it's at a 69% on Rotten Tomatoes versus 67% for "Sonic 2") and on paper "Ambulance" appears to be the kind of throwback, big-screen blockbuster spectacle that would draw significant crowds to the theaters.

"This is a filmmaker who will forever be looked at as a blockbuster director, whether you like his movies or not," Dergarabedian said. "... But this is a different kind of movie and I think that's why we're seeing these numbers. It's not trying to be 'Transformers.' "

"Sonic 2" wasn't the only success of the weekend. A24's critical darling "Everything Everywhere All At Once" expanded nationwide in its third weekend in theaters and earned $6.1 million from only 1,250 screens.