The hedgehog edged the sled dog by a nose. "Sonic: The Hedgehog" zoomed to the top of the box office with a take of $26.3 million in its second weekend while audiences ignored critics and heeded "The Call of the Wild" as the Harrison Ford CGI dog flick finished a close second with $24.8 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.
The Sega video game adaptation "Sonic the Hedgehog" was a laughingstock when its first trailer was released last year, but after a delay and a title-character makeover, the film has now spent two weeks atop the box office.
20th Century Studios' "The Call of the Wild" was also mocked by many on social media for its CGI dog — the first five film adaptations of Jack London's 1903 novel all used real ones — and reviews were decidedly mixed with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 62%, but moviegoers bought into the digital dog and his 77-year-old co-star, who would have won the weekend were it not for a late surge from "Sonic."
" 'Sonic' and 'Call of the Wild' represent two PG-rated movies where that void in the marketplace for families is the key to their success in this part of the year, a time that's usually dominated by awards holdovers and R-rated films," said analyst Paul Dergarabedian.
"Parasite" continued its post-Oscars surge in a week when its victory was mocked at a rally by President Donald Trump.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday:
1. "Sonic the Hedgehog," 26.3 million.
2. "The Call of the Wild," $24.8 million.
