Sonic The Hedgehog Delayed In China Over Coronavirus

Paramount has delayed Friday’s Sonic the Hedgehog opening in China as the country deals with the Coronavirus. Movie theaters in the country are closed out of fear of the virus.

“Due to the current coronavirus situation, the China release date of the film Sonic the Hedgehog will be postponed, and we will re-announce the new release date at a later time. Sonic will only be slowing down his pace temporarily, and we look forward to bringing him zooming onto the big screen in China once it is appropriate to do so,” Paramount said Monday in a statement.

“As the whole country and world unite together to fight the outbreak of coronavirus, we would like to express our gratitude and respect to all the medical staff, the rescue personnel, and people in service who provide us with much-needed assistance and support during this time,” it added.

Most movie theaters in China have been closed since the end of January, wiping out what is usually the most lucrative time of the year at the Chinese box office.

Coronavirus may end up costing Chinese and worldwide studios over $1 billion in revenue.

Sonic has been a big hit for Paramount, already topping the $106 million mark domestically and $200 million globally.