(Bloomberg) — “Sonic the Hedgehog 2,” a sequel to the 2020 hit from Paramount Pictures, could be the pandemic era’s top-grossing kids film, if parents get more comfortable bringing little ones back to theaters.
The PG-rated picture is projected to generate $65 million in U.S. and Canadian ticket sales this weekend, according to Boxoffice Pro. Paramount is forecasting over $50 million. It’s already taken in $26.1 million in international ticket sales after opening in 31 markets last week.
The film, about a superfast blue mammal, has a number of things going for it. It’s based on a popular Sega Co. video-game franchise. Its predecessor was one of the last big hits before the pandemic struck. And it’s getting decent reviews, with 66% critical approval, according to RottenTomatoes.com.
The picture is also coming out during spring break, meaning more parents will be looking for things to do with their kids as coronavirus case counts lessen and mask rules are lifted. All that is good news for theater owners, who have relied heavily on older kids and young adults to fill their seats the past few years.
“‘Sonic 2’ is the greatest litmus test yet during the pandemic of how comfortable parents are feeling taking their kids back to public venues like the theater,” said Shawn Robbins, chief analyst at Boxoffice Pro. “The results of this film at the box office will tell us a great deal about what to expect from other family movies coming up during the summer and beyond.”
Kids are an important demographic for movie studios. Children age 2 to 17 accounted for 28% of domestic movie ticket sales in 2021, while only making up 21% of the population, according to research from the Motion Picture Association. But they’re also more likely to be enticed by smaller-screen options. About 85% of kids in the U.S. watched full-length movies on their mobile devices last year, compared with 60% of adults.
Ticket sales are recovering this year. The numbers are largely due to two big superhero films, Sony’s “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” released in mid-December, and Warner Bros.’ “The Batman.” Both appealed to adults as well as kids.
Some theater operators also say they’ve waited to add more family-friendly events to their lineups. Mark Anastasio, director of special programming at Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline, Massachusetts, said his cinema will soon roll out more child-friendly activities.
“We held off from bringing back our weekend kids programming,” he said. “Not all children are eligible for vaccines and we weren’t sure if families were ready to bring back their kids.”
Before “Sonic,” the biggest opening weekend for a PG-rated film since the pandemic took hold was “Space Jam: A New Legacy,” from Warner Bros., which generated $31.1 million last July, according to Comscore data. After “Encanto” took in a relatively disappointing $27.2 million in November, Walt Disney Co. put its next animated film, “Turning Red,” directly on its Disney+ streaming service instead of showing it in theaters.
“Sonic 2,” a combination live action and animated film, tells the story of the hedgehog as he tries “to prove he has what it takes to be a true hero,” according to a description from Paramount. Along with a friend, Knuckles, he goes in search of an emerald before it can fall into the hands of the evil villain, Dr. Robotnik, played by Jim Carrey.
The original “Sonic” generated $58 million in domestic ticket sales on its opening weekend and remained No. 1 for two weeks in February 2020. It’s now the top-grossing film based on a video-game franchise domestically, according to BoxOfficeMojo.com
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