Sonic the Hedgehog is reportedly coming back to the big screen sooner than expected after SEGA had found his first film to be a success, with the first film’s production team and cast possibly returning as well.
According to Variety, both Paramount and SEGA confirmed the sequel to the 2019 movie is happening through director Jeff Fowler while Pat Casey and Josh Miller in writing roles. Due to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, early production and filming are delayed while no dates were set on an official start.
Seen as a surprising success for SEGA, Sonic the Hedgehog was also the company’s own gamble in making a video game movie. Chief brand officer Ivo Gerscovich recently told communities on a Reddit AMA the warm reception helped the hedgehog become familiar new fans while it “positively impacted many areas of the brand from bringing in a new generation of fans.” He added the movie had also put Sonic in a new and exciting spot for experimentation since the animation studio had redesigned the hedgehog after fans were terrified from the first trailer.
A sequel would see actor and comedian Ben Schwartz back to voicing Sonic while James Mardsen would co-star as normal human and police officer Tom. The first film also set up a classic transformation for Jim Carrey’s Dr. Robotnik/Eggman while audiences should expect to see a version that’s closer to his video game counterparts. Joining Sonic would be a few classic characters absent from the film while a post-credits scene teased more familiar faces would play bigger roles in the sequel.
Sonic Forces was the hedgehog’s last major game release in 2017, leaving SEGA lots of ways to make for lost time after the hedgehog’s major cinematic debut. While fans continued to wait, SEGA had also teased more announcements ahead for the series as he reaches a 30th anniversary.
