Production companies sure take the mantra “Gotta go fast” to heart, don’t they? But here we are, on the cusp of the theatrical release of Paramount’s third Sonic the Hedgehog feature film and Variety reports the fourth film is already on the docket. And not too far away, either. Spring 2027 is the timeline we’re looking at for it. The family-friendly franchise has proven a massive hit for Paramount, coming after the first film’s disastrous initial teaser led to some tinkering in the design department. It’s proven a very good move.
The first two films have a global box office take of just over $725 million worldwide and over $180 million in merch. That’s not nothing, especially for relatively small budgeted family films. Granted, neither were as successful as The Super Mario Bros. which alone raked in $1.3 billion. But hey, Sonic ain’t Mario. At any rate, the Sonic movies, plus Paramount+’s Knuckles spinoff series, have given Paramount and Sega plenty of franchise juice. Or rings? Whatever metaphor makes sense.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 from director Jeff Fowler (who directed the first two as well) pits Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails against new enemy, Shadow the Hedgehog, as well as their ongoing nemesis Doctor Robotnik. Jim Carrey is back as the mustachioed, shout-prone Dr. Robotnik while Keanu Reeves assays the role of new villain Shadow the Hedgehog. Ben Schwartz, Colleen O’Shaughnessey, and Idris Elba are also back as Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles, respectively. It hits theaters this weekend.
Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.
