'~Sonic 2' steals weekend box office, but '~Ambulance' stalls

'œSonic the Hedgehog 2'ť sped to the top of the charts in its opening weekend, earning an impressive $71 million according to studio estimates Sunday. Paramount's PG-rated sequel easily bested the weekend's other major newcomer, Michael Bay's 'œAmbulance,'ť which faltered in theaters.

'œSonic 2,'ť which brings back the first film's director, writers and cast, including James Marsden, Jim Carrey and Ben Schwartz, who voices the blue video game character, opened in 4,234 locations and actually surpassed its predecessor's opening weekend. The first 'œSonic the Hedgehog'ť opened over the Presidents Day holiday weekend in February 2020, earning $58 million in its first three days.

'œThe normal pattern domestically is that sequels slide a little bit," said Chris Aronson, the president of domestic distribution for Paramount. 'œBut we certainly bucked that trend.'ť

For a sequel to open 22% above the first, Aronson added, is 'œquite remarkable.'ť

'œSonic 2'ť got mixed to positive reviews from critics and audiences were even more enthusiastic. They gave the CG/live-action hybrid a strong 'œA'ť CinemaScore.

'œThe filmmakers did a great job of being in service of not only the general audience but Sonic fans themselves,'ť Aronson said. 'œMany feel it's a bigger, better film than the first one.'ť

It's an important weekend not just for the 'œSonic'ť franchise, but for PG-rated family films too. Comscore senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian said that one of the big questions of the pandemic was whether families would return to movie theaters with seemingly limitless viewing options available at home. According to exit polls, families made up 58% of the 'œSonic 2'ť audience.

'œThere's been some indication that they wanted to go back with movies like 'Sing 2,' but it's moved in fits and starts," said Dergarabedian. 'œThis says once and for all that families want to go back. It's a really good indicator of things to come for family films in 2022 with '~Lightyear' and the next '~Minions' movie.'ť

'œSonic 2'ť is also the latest in a string of theatrical hits for Paramount in 2022, including 'œScream,'ť 'œJackass Forever'ť and 'œThe Lost City,'ť which is still in the top five.

'œA lot of credit goes to our marketing and distribution teams," Aronson said. 'œWe've been judicious about picking our dates and knowing who our audience was for each.'ť

And their next release could be their biggest yet. 'œTop Gun: Maverick'ť opens on May 27.

Meanwhile, 'œAmbulance'ť got off to a bumpy start in its first weekend. With an estimated $8.7 million in grosses, it opened behind Sony's 'œMorbius," down 74% in weekend two, and 'œThe Lost City.'ť Bay's nail-biter about a botched bank robbery was released by Universal and stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Eiza González.

Its tepid launch proved a head-scratcher for many. Reviews weren't terrible (it's at a 69% on Rotten Tomatoes versus 'œSonic 2's'ť 67%) and on paper 'œAmbulance'ť appears to be the kind of throwback, big screen blockbuster spectacle that would draw significant crowds to the theaters.

'œThis is a filmmaker who will forever be looked at as a blockbuster director, whether you like his movies or not. The bar is always raised for someone like that,'ť Dergarabedian said. 'œBut this is a different kind of movie and I think that's why we're seeing these numbers. It's not trying to be '~Transformers.' If Bay's name wasn't on it, expectations wouldn't be as high.'ť

'œSonic 2'ť wasn't the only success of the weekend. A24's critical darling 'œEverything Everywhere All At Once'ť expanded nationwide in its third weekend in theaters and earned $6.1 million from only 1,250 screens.

'œA24 has done a spectacular job of rolling it out on a platform release and building buzz,'ť Dergarabedian said.

The film, directed by the Daniels and starring Michelle Yeoh, will expand to more theaters in the coming weeks.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

1. 'œSonic the Hedgehog 2,'ť $71 million.

2. 'œMorbius,'ť $10.2 million.

3. 'œThe Lost City,'ť $9.2 million.

4. 'œAmbulance,'ť $8.7 million.

5. 'œThe Batman,'ť $6.5 million.

6. 'œEverything Everywhere All At Once,'ť $6.1 million.

7. 'œUncharted,'ť $2.7 million.

8. 'œJujutsu Kaisen 0,'ť $825,000.

9. 'œSpider-Man: No Way Home,'ť $625,000.

10. 'œRRR,'ť $570,000.

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Follow AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ldbahr