Paramount Pictures is placing a big bet that Sonic the Hedgehog 2 will be as successful as the first movie because the studio just announced plans for a third. There will also be a Paramount+ spinoff series featuring Knuckles, who will be introduced to film audiences in Sonic 2. Idris Elba will reprise his role as Knuckles for the Paramount+ series.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 opens on April 8, but no release date was announced for the third film yet. The first film in the franchise hit theaters in February 2020 and grossed over $319 million worldwide. Like the first film, Sonic 2 is directed by Jeff Fowler and will feature Jim Carrey as the evil Dr. Ivo “Eggman” Robotnik. Ben Schwartz is back to voice Sonic, while Colleen O’Shughnessey voices Tails. James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, and Adam Pally round out the live-action cast. The first Sonic movie and several Sonic animated shows are available to stream on Paramount+.
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“We are delighted to announce that the third Sonic theatrical film and the first live-action Sonic series for Paramount Plus are being actively developed,” Sega CEO Haruki Satomi said in a statement Tuesday. “We’ve got a remarkable partnership with Paramount, and we are excited to continue expanding the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise with them. 2022 is shaping up to be a significant year for the franchise with the second film being released this April, as well as Sonic Frontiers, the highly anticipated video game title, coming this holiday. Sonic has been beloved by fans across the world for over 30 years and we look forward to continuing to bring memorable moments and experiences to them for many years to come.”
Paramount announced several other big projects for younger audiences during the company’s investors event. The new Nickelodeon slate will include a live-action Dora the Explorer series inspired by the 2019 movie Dora and the Lost City of Gold, as well as a new Dora CG series. There will also be a Blue’s Clues movie called Blue’s Big City Adventure, three new Spongebob Squarepants movies, and animated Transformers and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies. New young adult movies for Paramount+ include Fantasy Football starring Marsai Martin, Honor Society with Angourie Rice, and a film based on Becca Fitzpatrick’s novel Hush Hush.
Paramount also confirmed plans for a third A Quiet Place film, to be directed by John Krasinski that will open in 2025. Before that though, the first A Quiet Place spinoff film will open in 2023. This movie will be directed by Michael Sarnoski (Pig) since Jeff Nichols left the project.