Sonic The Hedgehog 3 Box Office Earnings: Total, Global, Domestic, and Opening Figures

The cinematic adventure of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 made a grand entrance in theaters on December 20, 2024. As the third installment in this beloved live-action series that adapts the classic video game franchise, it continues to build upon the universe introduced by its predecessors, alongside the Paramount+ spinoff series, Knuckles.

This latest film showcases a stellar returning cast including Jim Carrey reprising his role as the villainous Dr. Ivo Robotnik, who intriguingly also portrays his character’s grandfather, Professor Gerald Robotnik. Joining him are James Marsden as Tom Wachowski, Tika Sumpter as Maddie Wachowski, Lee Majdoub as Agent Stone, Natasha Rothwell as Rachel, and Adam Pally as Wade Whipple. New faces in the cast include Krysten Ritter and Jorma Taccone. The voice cast features familiar talents such as Ben Schwartz as Sonic and Idris Elba as Knuckles, with Colleen O’Shaughnessey returning as Tails, and Keanu Reeves making a notable addition as the infamous Shadow the Hedgehog.

Sonic The Hedgehog 3’s Total Box Office (As of Now)

A 2024 Box Office Challenger

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSu6i2iFMO0

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 | Official Trailer (2024 Movie) Ben Schwartz, Jim Carrey, Keanu Reeves (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSu6i2iFMO0)

As of this writing, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 has grossed an impressive $210.6 million worldwide during its second full week in theaters. This figure includes $136.6 million from North American audiences and $74 million from international markets, where the film debuted five days later, on Christmas Day. Given the current lack of competing releases in the coming weeks, projections suggest that the total box office numbers will continue to rise.

Interestingly, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 launched concurrently with Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King, potentially causing a strategic delay in its international rollout to enhance its box office potential.

Currently, Sonic is positioned at No. 21 among the highest-grossing movies of 2024 worldwide. It has surpassed several notable blockbusters such as IF and Mean Girls. If it manages to secure an additional $51 million globally, it will advance two spots in the rankings, overtaking The Garfield Movie and A Quiet Place: Day One to soar into the top tier of movie earnings this year.

Opening Weekend Box Office Performance

An Impressive Debut

Doctor Robotnik smiles after his haircut in Sonic the Hedgehog 3

The film’s strong global earnings stemmed from a solid domestic opening weekend, where it collected $60.1 million. Although this figure is not record-breaking, it nonetheless outperformed the total runs of several well-known films, such as Transformers One and Madame Web.

Despite achieving the No. 1 spot at the box office, the opening weekend did not meet all expectations, particularly given its Certified Fresh rating of 86% on Rotten Tomatoes. Factors contributing to this underperformance included a drop in ticket sales by Sunday and fluctuating projections. Notably, the film surpassed the second new release, Mufasa: The Lion King, which earned $35.4 million.

Box Office Comparisons with Previous Installments

Middle Pack Performer

In terms of its launch, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 occupies a mid-tier position among its franchise peers. It closed the gap slightly with the first film, which opened with about $58 million, yet it was approximately $12 million short of the $72.1 million debut of Sonic the Hedgehog 2. However, it boasts a fantastic second weekend gross of $37 million, the highest in the series’ history. Below is a comparative overview of the opening weekends and total statistics for all three films:

Title	Opening Weekend	Weekend 2	Worldwide Total
Sonic the Hedgehog (2020)	$58 million	$26.2 million	$319.7 million
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022)	$72.1 million	$29.3 million	$405.4 million
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024)	$60.1 million	$37 million	TBD

Several elements contribute to the differences in these box office figures, including the unique circumstances under which the original film launched just before the global COVID-19 pandemic led to theater closures. Notably, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is the first in the franchise to premiere during the Christmas season, a period known for slower box office runs but also for potential long-term successes.

History shows that December releases can sometimes have modest starts and later soar to become major box office hits. For instance, the romantic comedy Anyone But You grossed $220.3 million despite making only $6 million in its opening weekend. With its current trajectory, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 might well reach or even exceed the earnings of its predecessor, potentially hitting between $400 million and $500 million overall.

Implications of Sonic The Hedgehog 3’s Box Office Success

A Bright Future for Sonic

James Marsden as Tom screaming while held down to the floor in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 — Paramount Pictures

Boasting the largest budget in the series at approximately $122 million—over $10 million more than Sonic the Hedgehog 2’s budget—there’s quite a bit at stake for this installment. Typically, films must earn around 2.5 times their production costs to break even, suggesting that Sonic’s break-even point hovers around $305 million, a benchmark that remains unachieved at present.

Nonetheless, if Sonic continues on its promising path—potentially outranking the previous installment—Sonic the Hedgehog 3 could reach its breakeven point swiftly and become the highest-grossing entry in the series thus far. Such success would reaffirm the franchise’s consistent theatrical reception and lay a strong foundation for planned sequels.

Before the launch of Sonic the Hedgehog 3, a fourth installment was already announced, indicating the producers’ confidence in the film. This preemptive development hints at an even more expansive future for the franchise, particularly if the upcoming film resonates with audiences similarly to the current film’s Verified Hot 96% Popcornmeter score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Source & Images