Sonic the Hedgehog 3 has sped past significant box office milestones, overtaking its predecessor, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, to become the highest-grossing film in the trilogy. Despite debuting alongside Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King, Paramount’s latest Sonic installment has outperformed its competition domestically while boasting a leaner production budget.
With a domestic total of $218 million and $203 million from international markets, the film’s global haul now stands at $422 million. This surpasses Sonic 2’s lifetime earnings of $405 million, cementing its status as the trilogy’s top-grossing entry and the second-highest-grossing video game adaptation of all time. Collectively, the Sonic movie trilogy, helmed by director Jeff Fowler, has crossed $1.1 billion in global earnings since its launch in 2020.
Unlike many blockbuster franchises, Sonic the Hedgehog films have maintained modest budgets relative to their competition. The original 2020 Sonic the Hedgehog movie concluded its global run with $300 million on a budget of under $100 million. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 followed in 2022, earning $405 million worldwide. Despite being the most expensive installment of the trilogy, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 was produced for $120 million—still significantly less than many comparable franchises, such as Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, which cost $170 million but earned less globally.
In addition to its box office dominance, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 has garnered the best reviews in the trilogy. Holding an 88% “Fresh” score on Rotten Tomatoes and an audience score of 96%, it has proven to resonate with fans and critics alike.
The future of the Sonic franchise looks bright. Paramount is already developing a fourth movie, and the brand is expanding into streaming with the Paramount+ series Knuckles. With James Marsden, Jim Carrey, Idris Elba, and Keanu Reeves among its star-studded cast, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 has solidified the franchise’s position as a cornerstone of Paramount’s cinematic lineup.
Fans can catch Sonic the Hedgehog 3 in theaters now, with more updates on the franchise’s evolution to come.
Source: Box Office Mojo
