'Sonic' sequel set to take latest spin at movie stardom
A quiet March at domestic movie theaters is giving way to a more active April as spring film season ramps up, with three new wide releases moving into theaters this week.
Sony's (SONY
+0.3%) Marvel take Morbius is expected to see a typical second-week fall-off to lose its position on top of the film gross charts, after last weekend's $39 million opening.
The most likely candidate to take its place is the first big family film of the year: Sonic the Hedgehog 2, which studio Paramount (PARA
+1.7%) (PARAA
+1.2%) is tabbing for a $50 million-plus opening in more than 4,200 theaters.
Sonic is being counterprogrammed by explosive-action veteran director Michael Bay, returning after five years with the thriller Ambulance (CMCSA
+0.7%). The film, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and Eiza GonzÃ¡lez, is a remake of a 2005 Danish movie, and it's opening to softer expectations than Sonic.
The third wide opener - also not expected to top Sonic - is an expansion of the limited release for Everything Everywhere All At Once (A24), a quirky indie adventure starring Michelle Yeoh.
In the slower weekdays since opening, Morbius (SONY
+0.3%) has built its domestic total to $45.5 million, with a worldwide cumulative gross exceeding $90.4 million.