Universe building isn’t going anywhere anytime soon and that is made abundantly clear by the fact that even the Sonic The Hedgehog franchise is set to kick off its own cinematic universe, according to the producers behind the upcoming sequel.
Producers Toby Ascher, Neal H. Moritz, and Sega CEO Haruki Satomi recently chatted with Eurogamer about the upcoming sequel and that’s when they shared their excitement about the future of the Sonic franchise. With the release of Sonic The Hedgehog 2, Ascher mentions that we are at the start of a cinematic universe:
Ascher: We’re creating a Sonic cinematic universe, so we knew we were going to add characters, like Tails and Knuckles; new to the films but beloved by gamers all over the world.
Moritz: [Sonic 1] was a great experience for us as filmmakers, and as movie lovers. Now, we’re even more excited to expand that world, adding new characters, bigger worlds, a new, incredible journey, and more action and adventure. There are so many places we can go with Sonic
Satomi: We’ve got a remarkable partnership with Paramount and we are excited to continue expanding the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise with them.
It’s really no surprise that they’re going this route with Sonic. Video game movies aren’t always a sure thing but the first Sonic The Hedgehog proved to be a huge hit right before the pandemic struck in 2020. The film ultimately grossed $148.9 million at the domestic box office and $319.7 million worldwide and it was decently received by critics. Before the release of the sequel, it was already announced that a third film has been greenlit and a Knuckles spinoff series featuring the vocal talent of Idris Elba, is also in the works for Paramount+ in 2023.
Per the film’s official synopsis, “The world’s favorite blue hedgehog is back for a next-level adventure in SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2. After settling in Green Hills, Sonic is eager to prove he has what it takes to be a true hero. His test comes when Dr. Robotnik returns, this time with a new partner, Knuckles, in search for an emerald that has the power to destroy civilizations. Sonic teams up with his own sidekick, Tails, and together they embark on a globe-trotting journey to find the emerald before it falls into the wrong hands. From the filmmakers behind The Fast and the Furious and Deadpool, SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2 stars James Marsden, Ben Schwartz as the voice of Sonic, Tika Sumpter, Natasha Rothwell, Adam Pally, Lee Majdoub and Jim Carrey returning, alongside new additions Shemar Moore, with Idris Elba as the voice of Knuckles and Colleen O’Shaughnessey as the voice of Tails.”
Are YOU excited for a Sonic cinematic universe? Sonic The Hedgehog 2 hits screens on April 8, 2022.