After being delayed due the COVID-19 pandemic, the Sonic Movie finally debuted in China months after the U.S. cinemas debut, opening with low numbers on its’ first weekend.
According to Chinese box office data tracker Ent Group, via Variety, Sonic the Hedgehog has opened to $1.27 million U.S. dollars on its first weekend on China. One of the biggest reasons believed to be the cause is that due to the 5.5 months of diference between the domestic and Chinese release, those that were keen to watch the movie have already pirated it.
At the time of publishing, 65% of Chinese cinemas (7,099 total) were open, with only a permitted capacity of 30% in rooms. The total number of daily showings has also been reduced so that auditoriums can be cleaned effectively. These three details added up to a lackluster opening for Sonic.
Not helping also was the release of local films as the drama “Enigma of Arrival”, that made $3.34 million U.S. dollars, and the animated film “Mr. Miao”.
While the Chinese numbers haven’t been the most exciting, the Sonic Movie is still a hit, with a sequel on the way.