The wait is (almost) over. The “little ball of energy in an extremely handsome package” is going to take you on a crazy ride once again. After the huge success of the first movie, the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise is now all set for a more adventurous sequel.
The upcoming superhero comedy film Sonic the Hedgehog 2 follows Sonic, a blue alien hedgehog with superspeed, living on Earth with his human friends. After defeating the evil Dr. Robotnik and saving the world in the first film, Sonic is now enjoying his freedom. But soon, his old enemy returns under the new alias of Dr. Eggman, in search of an emerald that will make him so powerful that he can build and destroy civilizations in no time. And oh, Robotnik has a new partner, Knuckles the Echidna. Sonic teams up with a good old friend, Tails, and sets out on a mission to retrieve the emerald before Robotnik lays his hands on it and wreaks havoc on this planet he now calls home.
The Sonic the Hedgehog film series is based on the video game series of the same name started in 1991 by Sega. The sequel sees the returns of the first movie's creative team, with Jeff Fowler as director and Pat Casey, Josh Miller, and John Whittington as the writers.
It definitely sounds like there’s going to be a whole lot of excitement in the sequel live-action animation movie. So, we've put together all the details about Sonic the Hedgehog 2 that have been revealed so far into this handy guide, including updates on the release date, plot, cast and characters, trailers, and more.
Watch the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Trailer
The first official trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was released by Paramount Pictures on December 10, 2021. The video reveals that since the events of the first movie, Sonic has been "helping" the police as a vigilante hero. It also goes on to reveal the return of Dr. Robotnik aka Eggman and introduce Colleen O’Shaughnessey as Tails and Idris Elba as Knuckles. A parody teaser for the movie that pays tribute to The Matrix Resurrections was also released on December 22, 2021. The movie's final trailer was released on March 14, 2022.
When Is Sonic the Hedgehog 2’s Release Date?
Paramount Pictures in association with the Sega Sammy Group will be releasing Sonic the Hedgehog 2 in the United States on April 8, 2022. The movie will also be released on Paramount+ after 45 days from the date of the theatrical release.
Who Is in Sonic the Hedgehog 2’s Cast?
Since it’s a sequel, all the major characters from the first movie are obviously returning for Sonic the Hedgehog 2. The leading cast members will be reprising their roles. Ben Schwartz returns as the voice of Sonic along with Jim Carrey as Dr. Robotnik (who is now called Dr. Eggman). James Marsden and Tika Sumpter will also return in their original roles as Tom and Maddie Wachowski respectively. New cast members joining the franchise include Idris Elba, who will be voicing Knuckles, and Colleen O’Shaughnessey as Tails. O’Shaughnessey has also previously voiced Tails in the video game series and in a cameo at the end of the first movie. Additionally, Lee Majdoub will also be returning as Agent Stone.
The other cast members appearing in the upcoming movie include Adam Pally, Natasha Rothwell, and Shemar Moore, among others.
Who Are the Confirmed Characters in Sonic the Hedgehog 2?
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 will obviously see the return of the superhero hedgehog leading the story with some of his old friends, while a few new characters will also join him on his mission, as his friends, enemies, and frenemies.
- Sonic the Hedgehog – Sonic is an alien anthropomorphic blue hedgehog from another planet who comes to save Earth from being destroyed by his arch-nemesis, Dr. Robotnik. He befriends Tom Wachowski, a local cop in Green Hills, and seeks his help to stop Robotnik. By the sequel, Sonic has nicely settled in with Tom and his wife, Maddie. While the couple is on a vacation, Sonic finds his old friend Tails and sets out on a journey to stop his old enemy once again.
- Dr. Ivo Robotnik / Dr. Eggman – Sonic’s arch-nemesis, Robotnik is a mad scientist, whose only agenda is to catch Sonic and figure out how to use his super-speed and other powers for world domination. In his previous mission, he was defeated by Sonic and banished to a mushroom planet, where he vows to return and take his revenge. Now Robotnik, in the alias of Dr. Eggman, is back with a new plan for conquering the world that involves using a certain emerald (Master Emerald, perhaps?).
- Knuckles the Echidna – Another anthropomorphic creature, Knuckles is a red echidna who joins Dr. Eggman. He is quite a fighter but very short-tempered and gullible. He is going to be using his super strength to find the emerald of great power for Dr. Eggman though he has been tricked into doing this.
- Thomas Michael "Tom" Wachowski – The sheriff of Green Hills and Sonic’s friend. Tom helped Sonic in his last mission to defeat Robotnik and save the planet. In the sequel, he is not present while Sonic sets out on his new mission. Will Tom join his little blue friend once again? Probably.
- Maddie Wachowski – Tom’s wife and a veterinarian, who helped Tom and Sonic defeat Robotnik in the first movie.
- Agent Stone – Stone used to be Robotnik’s assistant. After his boss is sent to the mushroom planet, Stone takes up his place. But what happens when Robotnik is back? That we'll have to wait and see.
- The movie also features Wade Whipple (Adam Pally), Tom's chief deputy, and Rachel (Natasha Rothwell), Maddie's older sister who dislikes Tom.
- Tails – A two-tailed yellow fox who is Sonic’s sidekick and best friend, though from the trailer, it looks like this is going to be the first time the two of them meet. Tails was briefly introduced at the end of the first movie, voiced by Colleen O'Shaughnessey.
- And besides these characters, Shemar Moore will also be appearing in an as-yet-undisclosed role.
When Is Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Filming?
After the first movie became a huge box office hit, Paramount Pictures announced the sequel in May 2020. The principal photography for Sonic the Hedgehog 2 started in March 2021, under the working title of Emerald Hill, presumably because the story is about finding a powerful, magical emerald. The filming for the sequel wrapped in May 2021.
When Is Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Set?
Sonic’s adventures are set in the present times. The first movie starts 10 years after Sonic escaped his home planet and started living secretly in Green Hills, Montana. The sequel takes off from where the previous movie ended. It starts a few months after Dr. Robotnik was exiled to the mushroom planet, where he is planning to return and seek revenge.
What Is Sonic the Hedgehog 2’s Plot?
The first movie sets the premise for the second one. But be warned, there are a lot of spoilers here.
In that film, audiences were introduced to Sonic, a blue hedgehog from a different planet who saves the day with his supersonic abilities. He escapes dangerous enemies seeking to take his powers and ends up on Earth, living in hiding for a while, until the evil scientist Dr. Robotnik tries to use him to rule the world. With the help of his human friends, Sonic overthrows Dr. Robotnik and foils his plans. They then pack off the evil scientist to a planet of mushrooms.
The official synopsis of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 goes like this –
“After settling in Green Hills, Sonic is ready for more freedom, and Tom and Maddie agree to leave him home while they go on vacation. But no sooner are they gone, when Dr. Robotnik comes back, this time with a new partner, Knuckles, in search of an emerald that has the power to both build and destroy civilizations. Sonic teams up with his own sidekick, Tails, and together they embark on a journey to find the emerald before it falls into the wrong hands.”
Based on that description, it's clear that Sonic the Hedgehog 2 will see Sonic back in action, once again fighting to outdo his archenemy. This time, he will be joined by his newfound bestie Tails. From the trailer, it looks like the movie will be all about how Sonic and Tails become friends and unite to take on Dr. Eggman. There’s also a chance that the upcoming installment will explore some backstory for Sonic and Tails, where they come from, their early years, or even how Sonic got his powers.
On the other side of the plot is Dr. Robotnik, who is now back from his exile under the new alias of Dr. Eggman. The sequel will obviously see him causing more trouble for Sonic and his friends. Eggman also has a new partner, Knuckles the Echidna. The two are on a hunt for a special emerald that holds magical powers.
Knuckles’ place in the plot seems very important. We know from the first movie that Sonic was chased by a bunch of echidnas on his home planet. They were seeking his powers and he had to escape somewhere else. That’s how he landed on Earth in the first place. So, Knuckles probably joined Dr. Eggman so he could also fulfill his own agenda.
If you haven’t had a chance to catch up on the first movie, then now is the time. And if you have, then the upcoming sequel is going to double the thrill, because “No laws in the universe can stop” this speedy little creature!