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Sonic the Hedgehog Tops Detective Pikachu as #1 Game-Based Film in U.S.

Movie theater attendance dropped off about 45% in the United States this past weekend, as theater chains cut theater capacity by 50% to comply with "social distancing" recommendations that the Center for Disease Control made in an effort to slow the spread of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Because of this, ticket sales in North American theaters hit their lowest since the September 15-17, 2000 weekend, with only US$55.3 million in ticket sales over the weekend.

Many theater chains have indefinitely AMC, Showcase Cinemas, Landmark Theatres, Cineplex Odeon, and Alamo Drafthouse. AMC stated that its locations will remain closed for at least six to 12 weeks.

The Box Office Mojo website reported on Monday that Pokemón: Detective Pikachu as the #1 film in the United States based on a game (the latter film earned US$144,105,346 in the United States). Sonic the Hedgehog earned US$2,522,584 to rank #6 in its fifth weekend. The film has earned the equivalent of US$160,700,000 internationally, for a total worldwide gross of US$306,453,912.

The film earned US$70,002,074 to rank #1 over its Presidents' Day holiday opening weekend from February 14 to 17.

The film was delayed the opening of the film in order to help curb the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus disease. It will open in Japan with the title Sonic the Movie.

plays the villain Robotnik.

franchise) and co-producers Dmitri Johnson and Dan Jevons.

Boku no Hero Academia the Movie -Heroes: Rising-) film earned US$98,000 to rank #20 in the United States box office in its third weekend. The screenings have earned a cumulative total of US$13,304,000.

Funimation announced on March 4 that the film had earned a cumulative total of US$10 million in the United States to become the eighth all-time highest-grossing anime film in the United States.

The film exceeding Box Office Mojo's US$5.1 million estimate. It then earned an additional US$385,488 on Monday, and US$681,788 on Tuesday for a new total of US$10,361,847.

Funimation began screening the film in the United States and Canada in more than 1,000 total theaters starting on February 26. The film has both subtitled and dubbed screenings.

Funimation describes the film:

Class 1-A visits Nabu Island where they finally get to do some real hero work. The place is so peaceful that it's more like a vacation … until they're attacked by a villain with an unfathomable Quirk! His power is eerily familiar, and it looks like Shigaraki had a hand in the plan. But with All Might retired and citizens' lives on the line, there's no time for questions. Deku and his friends are the next generation of heroes, and they're the island's only hope.

The film began on January 24 in 81 theaters in Japan.

Sources: Box Office Mojo (link 2, link 3) via Hachima Kikō, Variety (Rebecca Rubin)