Releasing on Valentine’s Day this year, Sonic the Hedgehog introduced the titular iconic videogame character to moviegoers who seemingly embraced the live-action family comedy by making it the biggest opening weekend for a videogame film ever. It comes as no surprise then that Paramount Pictures and Sega Sammy have announced a sequel is in the works, as reported by Variety.
Currently little is known about where the filmmakers will take this follow-up, with casting details and a production start date still to be decided upon. However, it can be assumed that the original cast of Ben Schwartz (Sonic), Jim Carrey (Dr. Robotnik), James Marsden (Thomas Wachowski), and Tika Sumpter (Maddie Wachowski) will be in strong consideration to reprise their roles. The extensive cast of Sonic characters that were unused in the original film also presents a great opportunity for Jeff Fowler to further please fans by introducing favourites like Tails, Knuckles, and Shadow the Hedgehog.
In some ways, the production history for the first Sonic the Hedgehog is more interesting than the film itself. After jumping around production studios for a number of years, the first trailer shocked fans with its disturbingly human-like CGI redesign of Sonic. This started an online movement to have the design changed to something more in line with the timeless look that gamers have been familiar with for almost 30 years. And amazingly, that’s exactly what happened as Sonic’s design was completely redone to resemble what fans wanted, despite the film having to be delayed a few months as a result.
The final product was a fun, if simple, family flick that entertained through its fast-paced action scenes and Jim Carrey’s Jim Carreyness. However, opening during a rather quiet time of the year for films allowed Sonic the Hedgehog to gross a whopping $307 million worldwide. It’s no surprise then that a sequel is now in development.
Jim Carrey stealing the show as Dr. Robotnik.
While you wait for the Sonic the Hedgehog sequel, you can read about what may be expected from the Sonic franchise in 2020.
