Sonic the Hedgehog 3, featuring Keanu Reeves as the antagonist Shadow the Hedgehog, was released in theaters on December 20. Following Christmas, anticipation for New Year’s Day led to impressive box office results in North America. The film achieved record numbers on its opening day, surpassing the combined earnings of the previous two films.
Opening in Italy, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 also outperformed Mufasa: The Lion King, earning $1.4 million on its debut—significantly higher than Mufasa’s $641K on release day. Analysts predict the action-adventure film could see a $4-$6 million total for its five-day opening weekend, although it was briefly overtaken by Mufasa: The Lion King at the domestic box office.
Trade expert Luiz Fernando forecasts that Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is on track to become the highest-grossing film in the franchise. The film has already collected 164.7% more than the combined total of its predecessors’ second Wednesday collections. On New Year’s Day, it pulled in an impressive $9 million, marking only a 13.5% drop from the prior Wednesday. To put this in perspective, Sonic Movie 2 had earned $2.2 million, while the original collected $1.2 million. The latest installment has now reached a total of $160.4 million at the U.S. box office, with projections aiming for a domestic run of $245 million to $270 million. Currently, the film is playing in 3,761 theaters and competing against Moana 2, Mufasa: The Lion King, and Wicked.
Internationally, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 debuted with a strong $74 million and is gradually expanding into various markets. This combined with its U.S. gross brings the film’s worldwide total to approximately $234.5 million, with expectations to surpass the $250 million mark over the weekend. The film had a stunning opening with a collection of $60.1 million, outperforming Mufasa: The Lion King.
This film also marks a significant milestone for Keanu Reeves, as his involvement has pushed his domestic box office earnings to over $3 billion.
Note: Box office figures are based on estimates and various sources and have not been independently verified by Koimoi.
Credit: KoiMoi
