Even though it has been available to watch on digital streaming platforms for weeks, Paramount’sSonic the Hedgehog 3is still drawing crowds to theaters. The hit threequel has had a fantastic run, having debuted alongsideMufasa: The Lion Kingin December.Sonic the Hedgehog 3braved competition in the form ofMoana 2,Wicked, and more recently,Dog Man. Despite the cluttered marketplace, however, the movie made room for itself, becoming the highest-grossing installment of the video game adaptation trilogy, and now, the 11th-biggest hit of 2024.
With $234 million domestically and another $243 million from overseas markets,Sonic the Hedgehog 3has grosseda cumulative global total of $478 million so far. This weekend, its ninth, the movie overtookVenom: The Last Danceto becomethe 11th-biggest Hollywood hit of 2024, behindKung Fu Panda 4. Produced ona reported budget of $120 million,Sonic the Hedgehog 3has long since overtaken the first film’s $305 million lifetime haul, and the second film’s $400 million-plus haul. During the course of its run,Sonic the Hedgehog 3also outperformed hit sequels such asBeetlejuice Beetlejuice, and more recently, fellow Paramount releaseGladiator II.
The studio has been having a difficult time in the last few years, but somewhat surprisingly,the Sonic the Hedgehog franchisehas been tremendously successful. Combined, the three films have grossed over $1.1 billion worldwide. And to think that the first movie debuted under highly uncertain circumstances. Not only had fan backlash triggered a redesign of the titular character at the last moment, the movie was released mere weeks before the pandemic brought the world to a standstill. But its strong performance proved that there is an audience out there. Each of the three Sonic the Hedgehog films hold “fresh” ratings on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes; each of them is also directed byJeff Fowler.
‘Sonic the Hedgehog 3’ Is the Best-Reviewed Film of the Trilogy
Sonic the Hedgehog3 holds an 85% “certified fresh” rating onRotten Tomatoes, with the audience score standing at an even better 95%, earning the platform’s “verified hot” badge of honor. By comparison, the RT scores of its predecessors both fall in the 60s.In his review, Collider’sAidan KelleypraisedJim Carrey’s villainous performance and wrote that things look promising for the franchise in the future.A fourth filmhas already been dated for 2027, while a spin-off streaming show, titledKnuckles, has already been released.
You can watchSonic the Hedgehog 3at home, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is the sequel to the 2022 comedy-adventure movie that featured the Blue Blur and his companions on an adventure to stop Dr. Robotnik from taking over the world. The new film sees the new antagonist Shadow the Hedgehog, arriving to cause trouble for the newly formed trio of heroes, Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles, as they adjust to their earthly lives.
