Sega (OTC: SGAMY) fans are rejoicing this week as Sonic the Hedgehog (NYSE: PGRE) takes the world by storm in theaters. Raking in an estimated $70 million domestically in its opening weekend, Sonic raced past expectations, surpassing Birds of Prey (NYSE: T), Harrison Ford's Call of the Wild, and every previous video game movie.
Fan's love of the iconic video game character Sonic, Sega's answer to Nintendo's (OTC: NTDOY) Mario, undoubtedly contributed to the massive debut, but critics believe the history of the movie's design had more to do with why viewers rushed to the theater in droves.
Two of the most polarizing movie trailers in recent memory, if not ever, were for Universal's (NASDAQ: CMCSA) Cats and Paramount's Sonic the Hedgehog. Their stories are similar: both trailers received massive amounts of backlash from longtime fans of their respective subjects and viewers in general.
For Cats, the problem was pervasive; the "digital fur technology", while impressive, was deeply disturbing to look at for many viewers. From somewhere deep in the uncanny valley, humanoid cats came dancing and singing with coats made of unidentifiable materials (dead cats?), eating cockroaches with human faces and drinking milk... suggestively. The film was a box office disaster. With marketing costs figured in, the movie lost $100 million theatrically.
Sonic, on the other hand, got lucky. The main problem with the original trailer was Sonic himself. Sporting a set of creepy human teeth, oddly small eyes, and humanoid proportions, the original Sonic received widespread hate. In a move that surprised fans and critics alike, Paramount decided to delay the release of Sonic until the main character could be redesigned. This was, of course, no easy task, but still more doable than the full redesign Cats needed.
"I can't remember another time there's been a reset, but it was incredibly smart of everyone involved to listen to the fans and give them what they want," said Paramount's president of domestic distribution Chris Aronson. "The consumer always determines what is right and what is wrong. They made their voices clear, and we listened."
So far, that decision has definitely paid off.
It looks like the familiar slogan is true: Sega does what Nintendon't. In the box office, Sonic the Hedgehog outperformed every video game movie that has come before it, including last summer's Pokemon: Detective Pikachu.
Sonic also sped past other recently released movies. It easily outpaced Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey which now looks like it may not break even much less become profitable. Critics believe BOP failed in the same areas that Sonic excelled: name recognition, mainstream appeal, and marketing.
Sonic the Hedgehog fans and creators have many reasons to be proud this week. The movie shot to the top of yet another impressive list: Sonic had the fourth-best President's Day weekend release ever, putting it on the same list as Black Panther, Deadpool, and Fifty Shades of Grey.
Currently, Sonic the Hedgehog is rated (but not certified) "Fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes with a critic score of 64% and an audience score of an impressive 94%.