'Sonic 2' the Highest-Grossing Video Game Movie Ever in the US
The film has zoomed past a record set by the first Sonic the Hedgehog movie.
Sonic is undeniably a movie star.
Sonic the heroic blue speedster hedgehog is bringing folks into theaters on a scale his video game rivals can't match. (And I imagine that somewhere out there, The Rock is shaking in his oversize boots).
The first Sonic became the highest-grossing video game movie ever in the US in 2020, and now, sequel Sonic the Hedgehog 2 has raced past that record. A tweet from actor Ben Schwartz, the voice of Sonic in both movies, confirmed the feat on Tuesday.
#SonicMovie2 has officially passed the domestic box office total of the first #Sonic film, officially making the sequel the highest domestic grossing movie based on a video game of all time. AND THIS LITTLE BLUE GUY IS STILL GOING!!! AHHHH!!!! pic.twitter.com/H3YOr3DIeb
— Ben Schwartz (@rejectedjokes) April 26, 2022
"AND THIS LITTLE BLUE GUY IS STILL GOING!!!" Schwartz wrote.
Both Sonic films sit at around $148 million domestically, according to Box Office Mojo (the site doesn't yet reflect that Sonic 2 has reached a bigger total). Worldwide, the highest-grossing video game film is 2016's Warcraft, based on World of Warcraft, which disappointed domestically but was huge in China. Sonic 2 has so far pulled in more than $290 million worldwide, which has yet to reach Warcraft's more than $439 million, according to Box Office Mojo.
"Every sequence focusing on Sonic and pals is so visually delightful," wrote Sean Keane in CNET's Sonic 2 review, "that it's hard not to revel in the CGI spectacle and pop culture references. As it goes on, the flick leans harder into imagery from the classic games (a scene referencing Sonic's inability to swim is a standout), which will undoubtedly delight nostalgic '90s fans and draw younger gamers into a retro odyssey."
Sonic 2 will stream on Paramount Plus on May 24.
