The idea of a Sonic the Hedgehog movie once seemed impossible. That's not to say the universally popular video game franchise isn't adaptable to film, but rather that movies based on video games have, in general, never really been that good. And if we go back to 1993, when Super Mario Bros. hit theaters, a movie based on Sonic's Nintendo rival if you will, the chances of Sonic following suit seemed slim at best. But the future is now, and a Sonic movie has already been and gone, like the titular blue hedgehog himself, breaking the sound barrier along a deserted highway.
To say that the Sonic movie took its sweet time, though, is a bit of an understatement, but after enduring the likes of Yogi Bear, Alvin and the Chipmunks, and Woody Woodpecker over the years, we were silently grateful. In short, movies that feature animated characters based on retro properties, whether a cartoon or video game, are also pretty bad. So it came as a real surprise when 2020's Sonic the Hedgehog, a video game/animated character hybrid, turned out to be pretty good. And let's not forget the controversy surrounding the original trailer, which included a pretty terrible design for Sonic.
Not that Sonic has ever really included human side characters, but naturally, fans and cinemagoers alike scoffed at the thought of the 'Blue Blur' featuring in a movie alongside humans. Nevertheless, the movie was infinitely better than people expected, and really made the most out of an otherwise rather exhausted formula - alien creature arrives in a small backwater town and teams up with a local family to defeat a common foe. It also went on to become the highest-grossing video game adaptation ever. Not a stretch, you might say, but an accolade to be proud of nonetheless. But will there be another Sonic movie?
Will there be another Sonic movie?
If you loved the first movie, you'll be running in circles when we tell you that Sonic the Hedgehog is getting a sequel. Currently titled Sonic the Hedgehog 2, the film will be a direct sequel to the 2020 film and will see the return of James Marsden and Jim Carrey, who played Tom Wachowski and Dr. Robotnik in the first movie. Jim Carrey's performance landed well with fans, as he evoked his former '90s 'cartoon' self, and really seemed to have fun playing the egocentric and inhumane scientist.
Other returning actors include Tika Sumpter, Adam Pally, Natasha Rothwell, Lee Majdoub, and Ben Schwartz as the voice of Sonic. Newcomers include Shemar Moore in an undisclosed role, while the voice actor for Sonic's best friend Tails, who appears at the end of the first movie (and whose design is as perfect as Sonic's), is yet to be confirmed. The film involved shoots in Hawaii, which is expected to double for 'Green Hill' - as seen at the beginning of the first movie in animated form. And while the film has undergone delays due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it's now set for release on April 8, 2022.
Will Knuckles be in the next Sonic movie?
It's a question on the minds of many fans - but likely on those who haven't been keeping up to date with the upcoming movie (and we can't blame you, because these days the Internet can be an incredibly spoiler-rific place). So, will Knuckles be in the next Sonic movie? We won't beat around the bush here - the short answer is yes! And a slightly longer answer is that he'll be voiced by none other than Idris Elba! The hot-headed 'echidna' has been a fan favorite since his arrival in 1994's Sonic the Hedgehog 3, in which he portrays a villain after being manipulated by Dr. Robotnik.
It's likely the new film will take a page out of that game's book, as Knuckles is generally considered something of an anti-hero. And with Tails now also in the mix, fans can expect Sonic and his best friend to team up against Dr. Robotnik and Knuckles (Jim Carrey and Idris Elba - what an unlikely duo!). Knuckles is also known as the 'guardian of the Master Emerald', and it's expected that in the new movie, Robotnik will be searching for the infamous 'Chaos Emeralds'. Let's hope he doesn't plan on wiping out half of all life in the universe!
Will there be a third Sonic movie?
Given the success of the first movie, and that the second will likely follow in its footsteps (more like burning trails), a Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is probably on the table. While there have been no talks about such a project, the Sonic game franchise is rich with all sorts of characters, which include the likes of Shadow and Amy, and not to mention decades' worth of storytelling. And it doesn't just stop with the games, either. There are also a wealth of comic books, courtesy of Archie Comics and IDW Publishing, as well as numerous animated shows and short movies.
If Sonic the Hedgehog 2 makes efforts to build upon the world introduced at the beginning of the first movie, then it will lay the groundwork for future installments. And let's face it - what movie ever stops at two nowadays? Ultimately, it's all about money, and with Sonic the Hedgehog being as lucrative as he is, we can't imagine Paramount Pictures pulling the plug on the video game-inspired movie franchise anytime soon. And after our first impressions of the 2020 film, we don't really want them to.
There's no trailer for the new movie just yet, but there is an official logo, which got its own 'title announcement'. The logo captures both Sonic and Tails, so it's pretty obvious that the film will feature heavily on the beloved duo (let's just hope James Marsden's Tom Wachowski doesn't get jealous). As for Robotnik, we last saw him stuck on a 'mushroom planet', however, by the time the credits rolled, he had already started to don the iconic Robotnik look, with a wild mustache and a shiny bald head.
Jim Carrey has since expressed his desire to wear a 'fatsuit' for the upcoming film so that he can appear more like the games' versions of his character, but whether or not this is the case remains to be seen (we think he does a good enough job without one). Exactly how the rest of the cast will join the fold this time around, though, is unknown. However, with production having included shoots in Hawaii, it's possible we'll be revisiting Sonic's homeworld of Green Hill. While it was animated in its entirety in the first movie, perhaps this time around we'll get to see the human characters there.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 rolls into theaters on April 8, 2022.
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