Unlike many video game adaptations, the initial design of Sonic in the first trailer. The online backlash led to a complete redesign of the blue hedgehog and Sonic's release date was pushed back to get it done. But since that stumble, the two Sonic movies have gone down well with both general audiences and fans of the games who have got to see Sonic, Dr. Robotnik, Knuckles, and Tails in theaters.
If Sonic the Hedgehog 3 keeps up with the box office performance of the first two movies then it will be the fastest video game franchise to reach $1 billion. Sonic the Hedgehog made over $320 million and Sonic 2's box office performance sured that at $404 million. Both of those films were impacted by global theater closures due to the pandemic, so Sonic 3 is almost guaranteed to get the franchise over the $1 billion line. Only two other game franchises have reached the $1 billion landmark - Resident Evil which took 6 movies and Pokémon which took 23 movies - so Sonic doing it in just 3 movies will be a new record.
Why Sonic Movies Are So Successful (When Other Video Game Movies Aren't)
Much of Sonic's success can be put down to the studio caring about and listening to the video game franchise's fans. The initial design for Sonic was a disaster, but rather than stubbornly sticking with it SEGA sensibly changed the look of "Blue Justice" to one that long-time fans were more familiar with. Pleasing fans was important to get a core audience into theaters to see Sonic, something that Chris Pratt's disappointing Mario voice.
Both Sonic movies are also great examples of balancing the long history of a popular video game franchise with telling stories that are accessible to new audiences. The Sonic success films are simple adventures that are easy to follow, which is important given a large portion of the franchise's target audience is families. Jim Carrey's casting as Dr. Robotnik and the introduction of human characters like James Marsden's Tom Wachowski was also a smart decision that allowed Sonic to inhabit the real world, rather than go on adventures solely in Sonic's video game zones that not everyone is familiar with. But rather than being purely for children, the movies do still offer a lot for Sonic fans, as they go deep into the video game lore, feature several exciting Easter Eggs, and introduce beloved characters like Idris Elba’s Knuckles and Colleen O'Shaughnessey’s Tails.
How Much Sonic 3 Could Make At The Box Office
If Sonic 3 follows the trend of Avatar is the highest-grossing movie of all time, and its sequels will likely bring in billions and could take away from some of Sonic 3's potential audience. Still, the Sonic franchise has proved to be globally popular, and the target audience is arguably different from Avatar, so it should still become the biggest box-office hit for the speedy hedgehog yet.
What Else We Know About Sonic 3
Sonic the Hedgehog 2's ending saw Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails becoming a fully formed team who will work together in future movies. The biggest issue that Sonic 3 will have to navigate is replacing the Blue Blur's main villain, Dr. Robotnik, as Jim Carrey has announced his retirement from acting following Sonic 2. Thankfully, the post-credit scene of Sonic 2 established video-game favorite Shadow the Hedgehog as the next villain for Sonic and his friends to battle. The Knuckles spinoff show, set for release in 2023, could also lay the groundwork for more SEGA video-game heroes and villains to appear in Sonic the Hedgehog 3.
