A month after its cinema release, Sonic 3 arrives on Premium VOD in the United States. It is therefore time to take stock of whether the film was indeed a success.
It is now a habit: the arrival of studio films in Premium VOD (it's like normal VOD, but more expensive) a few weeks after their cinema release. Since the pandemic, the deadline has been reduced and new strategies have been put in place, particularly in Hollywood, history of adapt to public behavior and make maximum profits on all counts.
But very often, this exit in Premium VOD is associated with a negative pattern : a film crashes in theaters, so the studio tries to limit the damage by quickly releasing it on VOD. Examples like Borderlands, The Crow, Furious, Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City or even Shazam 2 thus served as a demonstration, without it being a rule.
Since it is the turn of Sonic 3 to arrive in Premium VOD one month after its theatrical release, it is time to make a small financial report.
THE SONIC 3 SUPER-CARDBOARD
No need to beat around the bush: Sonic 3 is a huge success. The film has so far received in the 422 million at the worldwide box officemore than the first Sonic (319 million) and Sonic 2 (405 million). This is the logical evolution curve for any successful franchise, expected to grow over the years.
With 422 million at the worldwide box office, Sonic 3 do better than other franchises recent like Bad Boys 4 (404 millions), Planet of the Apes: The New Kingdom (397 millions), Alien : Romulus (350 millions), Garfield : Hero in spite of himself (234 million), or even Ghostbusters: The Ice Menace (201 millions).
In the video game department, it's certainly light years away from the film Mario (1.3 billion), but it is comparable to Pokémon : Detective Pikachu (450 millions), Warcraft (439 million) and Rampage (428 million). And it's more thanUncharted (407 million) or the film Angry Birds (352 millions).
The success is even more striking if we look domestic box office (United States and Canada)particularly important since this is where an American studio makes the most money from revenue. Sonic 3 has amassed more than 218 million, and it's a record for the saga, ahead Sonic 2 (190 million) and Sonic (148 million). Again, it's incomparable with the film Super Mario Bros, the movie (574 million), but it is much more than Pokemon : Detective Pikachu (144 millions), Rampage (101 million), and Warcraft (47 millions).
In France, the saga is remarkably solid: 2.1 million entries for the first, 2.2 million for the second, and about as much for Sonic 3. On the other hand, the Chinese public remains indifferent to these adaptations, with not even 4 million collected there, roughly the same as the first episode in 2020.
-The Paramount studio therefore manages the Sonic business perfectly, particularly in terms of budgets. 90 million for the first Sonic110 million for the second, a little 120 million for the third : expenses have not soared, and profitability is thus ensured. By chaining together productions (three films in four years, without forgetting the series Knuckles), and keeping the same team (director Jeff Fowler and screenwriters Josh Miller and Pat Casey, assisted by John Witthington since Sonic 2), the saga Sonic has established itself as a successful business.
THE SUCCESS OF SONIC 3 WILL CONTINUE ON VOD
Why a Premium VOD release only one month after its arrival in cinemas? Because they are actually two different, or at least parallel, businesses.
In 2023, an article from The New York Times devoted to the Universal studio explained that VOD represented a significant source of additional revenue. It was an additional 75 million for the film Super Mario Bros.50 millions Jurassic World 2, The Croods 2 et All in scene 2and 25 million for M3GAN. In just three years, Universal had amassed a billion dollars thanks to this sector.
Recently, Universal even exploded these meters with Wicked. In one week, in January 2025, the musical had already collected 70 million a Premium VODin the United States and Canada. All this while the film still attracts audiences to cinemas.
It's even more lucrative than a studio recover more money on a sale or rental in VOD or Premium VOD (around 80% of the price), than on a cinema ticket (around 50% at best, the rest naturally going to the operators). In general, Premium VOD costs $19.99 to rent, and $24.99 to purchase.
Sonic 3 arrives on Premium VOD in the United States this January 21, 2025, but his theatrical career is not overfar from it. The film still grossed $8 million for its fifth weekend, in more than 3,300 American theaters.
And that's without mentioning the income linked in DVD and Blu-ray sales. The first Sonic had grossed more than 50 million in the United States alone, according to The Numbers. Finally, Sonic 3 will join soon the Paramount+ catalogthe studio's streaming service, which can use it to attract new subscribers. So it’s a busy life cycle.
There is no possible doubt: Paramount is far from having finished with the hedgehog and his friends. If season 2 of Knuckles has not been announced (please), the story will continue at least in the cinema, as teased with the post-credits scene of Sonic 3. Sonic 4 has already been announced, and will be released in early 2027.
