The Invisible Man Opens Strong, Pushes Sonic Off No. 1 For The First Time

Saw and Insidious writer Leigh Whannell's newest horror movie, The Invisible Man, started strong with a $29 million USD opening weekend in North America. That makes it easily the No. 1 movie of the weekend in the US and Canada, pushing Sonic the Hedgehog down off its top spot for the first time since its debut.

Sonic made $16 million to finish second, while Harrison Ford's The Call of the Wild came in third with $13.2 million, according to box office roundup by Entertainment Weekly. The Invisible Man had a budget of around $7 million, so things are looking good for the movie's profitability.

The Invisible Man is a reboot of the H.G. Wells story that was first adapted into a movie in 1933. The new film stars Mad Men's Elisabeth Moss as a survivor of abuse who believes her dead boyfriend came back to life to haunt her as an ... invisible man.

Whannell directed the movie, and it's just the third movie he's directed. He also directed Insidious: Chapter 3 (2015) and Upgrade (2018). Whannell, who is from Melbourne, Australia, created, wrote, and starred in the original Saw, and he went on to write Saw II and Saw III. Whannell also wrote the 2014 movie The Mule about a drug mule and not the 2018 movie The Mule starring Clint Eastwood as a drug mule" drug mule (not to be confused with the 2018 Clint Eastwood film of the same name).

In other news, Whannell recently signed a two-year, first-look deal with horror studio Blumhouse to make new TV shows and movies. This is a continuation of their existing relationship, as Blumhouse also produced The Invisible Man and six other projects. Blumhouse has become something of a juggernaut in the horror/thriller space, as the company also released the Oscar-winning thriller Get Out, as well as the Paranormal Activity, Purge, and Insidious franchises.

In addition to those thriller/horror franchises, Blumhouse produced the acclaimed Oscar-winning dramas Whiplash (2014) and BlacKkKlansman (2018).

February 28-March 1 US Box Office

1. The Invisible Man --$29 million
2. Sonic the Hedgehog -- $16 million
3. The Call of the Wild -- $13.2 million
4. My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising -- $6.3 million
5. Bad Boy for Life -- $4.3 million
6. Birds of Prey -- $4.1 million
7. Impractical Joker: The Movie -- $3.5 million
8. 1917 -- $2.7 million
9. Brahms: The Boy II --$2.7 million
10. Blumhouse's Fantasy Island --$2.3 million