The sequel to Sonic the Hedgehog has soared to the top of the North American box office

The dark superhero film "The Batman," from Warner Bros., came in fifth place with $6.5 million in its sixth week of release.

Los Angeles: According to industry watcher Exhibitor Relations, Paramount's action-adventure flick "Sonic the Hedgehog 2" pulled in an estimated $71 million in North America this weekend, a good sign for Hollywood that families are returning to in-person viewing.

"This is an extraordinary opening," said Franchise Entertainment Research's David A. Gross, especially for a sequel to a video-based film.

The first "Sonic" film, based on the popular Sega game about a lightning-fast hedgehog, made $58 million in its opening weekend in early 2020, just as Covid-19 was gaining traction as a threat.

The latest hybrid production stars Jim Carrey in a live-action role, while animated characters are voiced by Ben Schwartz (Sonic), Idris Elba (Knuckles), and Colleen O'Shaughnessey (Tails).

Last weekend's box office champion, Sony's vampire film "Morbius," came in second with $10.2 million, a significant dip from last weekend's $39.1 million. In this Marvel comics adaptation, Jared Leto plays a Nobel Laureate turned bloodsucker.

Another Paramount film, the action romance "The Lost City," came in third with $9.2 million. Sandra Bullock is a romance author kidnapped by a perverted tycoon (Daniel Radcliffe) who wants her to assist him in the discovery of a buried item on a remote, volcano-prone island.

At $8.7 million, a new Universal release, the action adventure "Ambulance," took fourth place. After a bank robbery, Jake Gyllenhaal and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II play adoptive siblings who steal an ambulance to flee.

In fifth place came Warner Bros.' dark superhero drama "The Batman," which grossed $6.5 million in its sixth week. The caped criminal fighter is played by Robert Pattinson.

The following people rounded out the top ten:

"Everything Everywhere All at Once" ($6 million) is a film that explores the concept of "everything everywhere all at once."

"Uncharted" ($2.7 million) is a film directed by Nicolas Winding Refn.

"Dog" ($635,000) is a film about a dog.

"Spider-Man: No Way Home" ($625,000)

"Jujutsu Kaisen 0" ($500,000)