‘Uncharted’ Passes $400 Million As ‘Sonic 2’ Tops $375 Million

In holdover news that isn’t about Everything, Everywhere All at Once (which passed $52 million yesterday and will become A24’s biggest domestic earner) and Walt Disney’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness ($342 million domestic and $803 million worldwide) … Sony’s Uncharted finally crawled past $400 million worldwide this weekend. The $120 million Tom Holland/Mark Wahlberg video game adaptation has earned $147.5 million domestic, third among video game movies behind only Sonic the Hedgehog ($148 million) and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 ($181 million and counting). Its global total puts it, among video game movies, behind Rampage ($428 million), Detective Pikachu ($433 million) and Warcraft ($438 million). So, yes, mixed-negative reviews aside, it’s a clear-cut hit and I’d be shocked not to see a sequel in the next few years. Maybe Uncharted 2 can let Holland act his age.

Meanwhile, DreamWorks and Universal’s The Bad Guys earned another $5.72 million (-19%) in weekend five for a $74 million domestic cume. The $80 million toon has earned $182 million worldwide, including $25 million in China. With another strong hold, I’d wager it passes $80 million domestic over Memorial Day weekend and ends up close to $90 million. $100 million seems like a bridge too far but ask me again on June 5 as the world’s children wait for Jurassic World: Dominion and Lightyear. Likewise, Paramount and Sega’s Sonic the Hedgehog 2 earned another $3.94 million (-15%) weekend and $181 million domestic and $375 million global cume. It’s still looking at a likely over/under $190 million domestic total. You know what might have done well this weekend? Disney’s terrific Chip n’ Dale: Rescue Rangers movie.

With all the chatter about how Tom Cruise is the last movie star (cough-Leonardo DiCaprio-cough), I’ll politely note that Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum’s The Lost City earned $1.5 million in weekend six for a $99.3 million domestic cume. It’ll pass $100 million over the holiday even with a concurrent availability on Paramount+ and VOD. Once it passes even $101 million, it’ll have outgrossed every Cruise non-Mission: Impossible star vehicle since War of the Worlds ($232 million) in 2005. Cruise is unquestionably among the all-time greats, and God love him for continuing to only make big movies for big screens. However, if I were Paramount, I’d arrange a playdate for Bullock and Cruise, just to see what (professionally, of course) happens. Anyway, the $70 million The Lost City has now earned $176 million worldwide.

Last week’s lone new wide release, Firestarter, earned $1.73 million (-55%) second-weekend gross and $5.6 million ten-day cume. Yeah, no need to kick someone when they are already down. However, I will again note the peril of offering an inferior remake at a time when the comparatively better original/first adaptation is available on the same streaming service. WB’s Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore will earn $1.83 million (-28%) for a $93 million 38-day cume. It should arrive on HBO Max and PVOD a week from Monday, for those who have been curious but willing to wait. Focus Features’ The Northman will earn around $1 million (-42%) for a $33 million 31-day total. As noted yesterday, the original, $70 million-budgeted The Northman has earned 33% more than the $90 million Conan the Barbarian relaunch back in summer 2011.