Racing into theaters this weekend is Sonic the Hedgehog, ready to thrill kids of all ages. The Paramount Pictures release could have a big weekend ahead after earning $21 million domestic through Friday, February 14. Based on the Sega video game of the same name, Ben Schwartz lends his voice to play the blue speedster with Jim Carrey playing his mustachioed nemesis Robotnik and James Marsden appearing as his trusty human sidekick.

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Image via Paramount

Sonic the Hedgehog's box office pace is a good one so far. After scoring $3 million in domestic Thursday night previews, the kid-friendly feature added $18 million on Friday and putting its domestic total at a cool $21 million. It's possible that, if Sonic keeps this pace up, it end the weekend with a domestic total somewhere in the $50 to $60 million domestic range. If it manages to do this, then it will surpass Detective Pikachu's $53.4 million domestic opening and take the 2019 pic's title of highest-grossing movie based on a video game. Upon closer inspection, Sonic is also doing well per theater, averaging $5,040 per screen across 4,167 screens nationwide. Sonic has been met with lukewarm to positive reviews, scoring a 64% on Rotten Tomatoes and an A CinemaScore.

Sonic wasn't the only new movie to hit theaters on Friday. Joining the line-up of new movie releases was the number three feature The Photograph, starring Issa Rae and LaKeith Stanfield, and the number four movie Fantasy Island, Blumhouse's horror-filled spin on the classic '70s series starring Lucy Hale and Michael PeñaThe Photograph pulled in $6.3 million domestic with $650,000 of that total earned in Thursday night previews. Earning a B+ CinemaScore, the Rae-Stanfield romantic drama averaged $2,496 per theater and opened on 2,516 screens nationwide. As for Fantasy Island, which earned an supremely average C- CinemaScore, the Blumhouse pic earned $5.4 million domestic. Opening on 2,784 screens, Fantasy Island averaged $1,940 per screen. Oh, and don't think I've forgotten about Downhill, also a new release starring Will Ferrell and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Unfortunately, the Searchlight Pictures feature failed to make Friday's box office top five, so I'll be breaking down why this movie's title matches its box office performance later this weekend.

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Image via Warner Bros.

Meanwhile, Birds of Prey has already lost its box office crown after reigning supreme during its opening weekend a mere week ago. After a $13 million Friday opening on February 7 followed by a $33 million domestic opening weekend, Birds of Prey brought in $6.4 million on Valentine's Day. This represents a 51% dip from last Friday and could indicate Birds of Prey is looking at a 4-day holiday weekend total in the $20 million range. To date, Birds of Prey has earned $48.5 million domestic and $48 million internationally, bringing its global total to $96 million. Made on an $80 million budget (or thereabouts), it's not necessarily all doom and gloom that the Margot Robbie-led Warner Bros. feature is bringing in these kinds of numbers. While the spin from opening weekend has indicated as much (including my own assessment), Birds of Prey's box office pace is similar to other features of its size and spectacle opening in this tough box office world. Maybe we just need to ease up on it a bit and get some perspective, eh?

Headed to the movies this weekend? Make sure you check out our Sonic the Hedgehog review as well as our interviews with the movie's stars: Ben Schwartz, Jim Carrey, and James Marsden.

Rank

Title

Friday

Total

1.

Sonic the Hedgehog

$21,000,000

$21,000,000

2.

Birds of Prey

$6,350,000

$48,508,302

3.

The Photograph

$6,280,000

$6,280,000

4.

Fantasy Island

$5,400,000

$5,400,000

5.

Bad Boys For Life

$4,030,000

$174,052,306