Variety reports that Paramount’s family film Sonic the Hedgehog is expected to race ahead of its box office competition when it debuts in theaters this weekend.
The action adventure, based on the video game character, should collect $40 million to $45 million from 4,130 venues over the Presidents’ Day holiday stretch. Those figures would easily be enough to claim the No. 1 spot from last weekend’s champ, Warner Bros.’ Birds of Prey, as well as new movies, including Universal’s romantic drama The Photograph, Sony’s supernatural thriller Fantasy Island and Searchlight’s Downhill remake with Will Ferrell and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
Jeff Fowler directed Sonic, which arrives on the big screen after an extensive makeover. The movie’s release was delayed last year after the first trailer dropped to an avalanche of backlash. While it was an unusual move to postpone the film by three months due to criticism, the character redesign seems to have appeased moviegoers since subsequent trailers were more positively received.
