The newest Sonic movie may have only just debuted in theaters, but one of the franchise’s major writers is already celebrating Sonic The Hedgehog 4’s stunning announcement. Based on Sega’s series of blockbuster video games, the Sonic movies have been widely recognized as some of Hollywood’s most successful game adaptations. One day before the theatrical debut of Sonic The Hedgehog 3, Paramount Pictures recently stated that Sonic 4 was in production with a projected 2027 release date.
Speaking with ScreenRant in celebration of Sonic 3’s recent release, franchise writer Pat Casey responds emotionally to the news that the franchise is scheduled to grow with a fourth feature. Admitting that when the first movie was revealed, hopes that the first movie adaption would work were so low, they were even regarded “a bit of a laughing stock.” However, Casey is delighted to see the franchise continuing to develop and expand off the success of the first two movies. Check out his thoughts below:
In these contemporary of cinematic worlds and vast franchises, when it comes to sequels there seems to be one golden rule: Gotta move fast. And if there's anyone who knows a thing or two about traveling fast, then it's SEGA's blue-haired speedster Sonic The Hedgehog, the Ben Schwartz voiced protagonist of Jeff Fowler's namesake video game blockbusters. With that being stated, ahead of Sonic The Hedgehog 3's debut in cinemas this Friday, Variety have today reported that Paramount Pictures are already working to transform Fowler's trilogy into a quadrilogy with Sonic The Hedgehog 4.
With the first two movies in the big-screen Sonic franchise proving a smash with fans, running riot at the box office to the tune of $725 million and generating an Idris Elba led Knuckles spin-off show, the announcement of Sonic The Hedgehog 4 is scarcely surprise. And with the movies going from strength to strength as they go along, bolstered by the arrivals of fan favourite characters like Knuckles (Elba), Tails (Colleen O'Shaughnessey), and Shadow The Hedgehog (Keanu Reeves), it does seem as if Fowler and co have only really just scratched the surface of the games' rich lore and deep bench of unique characters. Plus, with Jim Carrey having all but retired save for his now bi-annual excursion as Dr. Robotnik, more Sonic movies is the only way we can ensure future Jim Carrey movies!
Naturally, with Sonic The Hedgehog 3 having not even touched our screens just yet, we have no clue what a fourquel will look like or where it will go. Hell, at this moment we haven't even had direct confirmation of Fowler, Schwartz, Reeves, James Marsden, or indeed any of the rest of the cast and crew's returns - but we'd be extremely astonished if anybody didn't come back for more. All we do know is that with Reeves joining the roster as gun-toting anti-hero Shadow in this latest outing and buzz building already about new characters set to show up in Fowler's film, you can bet your life that we'll be spending our hard-earned golden rings on tickets to see Sonic The Hedgehog 4 whenever it does eventually head our way. We'll race you to the movie – 2027 will be here sooner than you think!
What Casey’s Comments Mean For Paramount’s Sonic The Hedgehog Franchise
With the first two Sonic the Hedgehog movies already having taken in over $725 million at the worldwide box office, and Sonic 3 currently firmly on pace to keep the pattern going, it is not unexpected that Paramount is interested in seeing the films continue. However, much as Casey notes, early expectations around the first movie were a long cry from the immense sorts of success the brand today enjoys.
Not only were Casey and his colleagues writers confronted with working in a notoriously tough genre to get right, but when consumers first saw Sonic’s original CGI design, the response was quick and intense. Ultimately prompting director Jeff Fowler to go back to the drawing board and delay the movie’s release an additional three months, the last-minute efforts to rescue the main character’s design ultimately paid off, with the original Sonic The Hedgehog movie even going on to break Marvel Studios' decade-long streak of having the highest grossing film of the year.
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Now, with Sonic 3 presently in cinemas and production on Sonic 4 on the way, the franchise does not appear to be slowing down anytime soon. Moreover, with the movies continuing to bring in an ever-growing roster of A-level vocal talent, such as Idris Elba and Keanu Reeves, it is easy to understand why Casey would be thankful of being able to play such a significant role in the franchise’s continuous expansion.
Our Take On The Sonic Franchise’s Future
Buoyed by a healthy sense of humor and an appreciation for the original source material, the Sonic franchise seems to have a bright future that is likely to endure long beyond the plans for Sonic the Hedgehog 4. Not only does the original game series include well over a hundred entries that might continue to be mined for years to come, but the property has also shown the feasibility of possible offshoot ventures like this year’s Knuckles TV program. All indicators would imply that Sonic and his comrades will remain gracing people’s screens for years to come.
