With the Sonic the Hedgehog movie having been released in 2020 and garnering box office success, here's a look at what to expect from Sonic the Hedgehog 2, including the sequel's release date and story. Sonic the Hedgehog, based on the classic Sega video game, was in development as a movie since 2014, but the Sonic movie endured a variety of delays, not least being pushed back to 2020 so the VFX design of the title character could be totally changed.
That change worked for the better, however, with almost unanimous agreement that the new Sonic design looked great. Directed by Jeff Fowler with a script from Pat Casey and Josh Miller, Sonic the Hedgehog stars Ben Schwartz as the titular blue hedgehog, with Jim Carrey as his arch-nemesis Dr. Robotnik aka Dr. Eggman, and James Marsden lending support as Tom Wachowski, the sheriff of Green Hills.
Sonic the Hedgehog is aimed at being a family-friendly movie franchise and it's no surprise that a sequel was announced and will be released in 2022. Here's what we know and what to expect from Sonic the Hedgehog 2.
Sonic The Hedgehog 2 Is Officially Happening
Paramount clearly bet big on Sonic the Hedgehog, even delaying the movie and overhauling its main character design to give it the best chance of success possible. This gamble paid off, with a worldwide box office gross of over $300 million on a budget of approximately $85 million. Thus, it's no surprise that on May 28, 2020, Paramount and Sega Sammy officially confirmed that Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was in development, with director Jeff Fowler and writers Pat Casey and Josh Miller returning. In January 2021, Tika Sumpter confirmed she would be returning as Maddie for the sequel, alongside several other returning actors, including Lee Majdoub's Agent Stone, Doctor Robotnik's assistant, Jim Carrey as Doctor Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik, and James Marsden as Tom.
Sonic The Hedgehog 2's Release Date
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 will race into theaters on April 8, 2022. The sequel will have a much speedier path to the big screen than Sonic the Hedgehog did. The first movie was pushed back because of the distribution changing hands, and then again for the VFX to be overhauled. With the design now settled, the sequel's production turnaround was much faster and a theatrical release date has been set (hopefully with no incoming delays). Movie theaters shut down shortly after the first movie was released and, with the Omicron variant of COVID-19 surging, a few major releases, including the long-delayed Morbius, have been pushed back once more. However, Sonic the Hedgehog 2's release date is holding steady thus far.
New Characters To Expect In Sonic The Hedgehog 2
Warning: Spoilers for Sonic the Hedgehog from this point on.
Sonic the Hedgehog includes some key characters from the video game, but it's also missing some of the series' most iconic faces too — that is, until the film's post-credits scene, when Tails turns up in Green Hills to get Sonic. That set the stage for Tails to play a major role in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, which is quite fitting since it was in the Sonic 2 video game the character was first introduced. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 will also introduce Knuckles (who will be voiced by Idris Elba), an echidna who is working alongside Doctor Robotnik and will face-off with Sonic.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Story Details
Sonic the Hedgehog ends with Sonic having defeated Dr. Robotnik, with Eggman left trapped inside the Mushroom Hill Zone. The first Sonic the Hedgehog 2 trailer sees the return of Doctor Robotnik, who says he's discovered the "source of ultimate power." The trailer also offers the first major look at the villain Knuckles in action and it's looking like there will be several action-heavy fights between the new nemesis and Sonic, who is trying to stop Knuckles from stealing his power (or so he thinks). What's more, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 will officially introduce Tails, a fox that aids Sonic in his endeavor to stop Doctor Robotnik and Knuckles. Tails was teased at the end of the first movie and it looks like the sequel will capitalize on the character's presence.
