• Sonic the Hedgehog movie topped Detective Pikachu on opening weekend
• Paramount is delaying the Japanese release citing concerns over the coronavirus

No one expected the Sonic the Hedgehog movie to top Detective Pikachu at the box office on opening weekend. But the blue blur did the impossible by beating the “pocket-monster” film by over $3 million. As the new movie began to release in the international markets, it seemed all but certain that Sonic would become the best-selling video game movie of all time. A crisis appeared to be the only thing that could derail the movie’s success. It turns out that the unimaginable might be coming true right before our eyes.

The Perfect “Storm”

Despite a budget nearly one-half the size of Detective Pikachu’s budget, the Sonic the Hedgehog movie surprised critics with its domestic box-office success. After just four weeks, the blue blur is just $12 million shy of Pikachu’s $144 million in domestic sales. With its domestic success, Sonic was poised to top Pokemon’s $433 million in global sales. Then tragedy struck.

In coordination with Paramount Studios, the Sonic movie announced the following on its official website:

We have announced that the release of “Sonic the Movie” has been postponed in consultation with Paramount Studios .We sincerely apologize to the customers who are looking forward to seeing their work.

-Toho Pictures Co

Paramount originally planned to release the film in Japan on Friday, March 27th. But with schools closed for the next four weeks due to the coronavirus, it makes sense to postpone the film. Paramount assured fans that they can still use pre-ordered tickets once the company announces a new release date.

Pokemon earned just over $27 million in the Japanese market, and critics projected Sonic to do even better. While the coronavirus will likely derail the Sega mascot from topping Pikachu, the Sonic the Hedgehog movie is still a resounding success. The movie has already netted $200 million in sales; therefore, we would be shocked if a sequel was not already in the works. Even a global pandemic cannot keep the blue blur down.

Conclusion

But we want to know what you think. Do you think that the Sonic the Hedgehog movie will surpass Detective Pikachu in global sales? If not, do you think that the coronavirus is the main reason? Let us know what you think in the comments below or the social media links on the right. Be sure to check out our other news items on Smash, Pokemon, Modern Warfare, and more. Also, be sure to follow us on Twitter to stay on top of all the latest GamingROI content.

Finally, we are starting to stream every night so be one of the first 100 followers on Twitch and Mixer to enter a contest to win a free GamingROI tee-shirt. All you have to do is click the links above and select “follow”. We will announce the winners at the end of March. Until next time, enjoy!