Gotta film fast! The sequel to the 2020 surprise hit film Sonic the Hedgehog has officially begun production, which means fans no longer have to wonder whether their favorite blue blur will return. Of course, that's not to say there isn't still plenty of room for speculation.
Director Jeff Fowler, who took the reigns of the first film and is also set to do the same with the sequel, made the official announcement March 15th on Twitter, which doesn't sound official but it is. He's got the checkmark and everything. Marking a few months past a year since the original premiered (and taking the pandemic into account), it seems the production team wasted little time in getting started on the next entry in this new spin (heh) on the already beloved franchise.
Officially titled Sonic the Hedgehog 2, plot details on the sequel are scarce, but there are a few bits that fans can probably expect to see. First off, the return of Jim Carrey as Dr. Robotnik is all but inevitable, given his status as Sonic's eternal nemesis in every appearance since the beginning (as well as Carrey's almost universally praised performance as the mad scientist). There's also Ben Schwartz returning as the voice of Sonic himself, as well as James Marsden and Tika Sumpter as Sonic's new friends Tom Wachowski and his wife Maddie Wachowski, respectively.
As for new stuff, a mid-credits scene in the first film essentially confirmed that Sonic's best friend from the games, Miles "Tails" Prower, will feature prominently in the sequel. The confirmation was further cemented by the "tails" prominently featured in the follow-up's logo. But another appearance that might have been less clearly telegraphed will be Knuckles the Echidna. While the original film certainly featured a certain "connection" with Knuckles, the character himself didn't appear. The sequel, however, will apparently star the wall-climbing treasure hunter, though no casting announcement has been made as of yet.
The success of Sonic the Hedgehog in 2020 seemed to surprise a lot of people, particularly following the rather infamous fiasco regarding the titular character's design which appeared to receive a drastic change based on fan backlash. But aside from the question of potentially overworking the animators, it seems the effort paid off in the end, with the final film garnering enough praise and attention to even draw a polite endorsement from Sonic creator Yuji Naka himself. Whether or not that praise will carry over to the sequel has yet to be seen, but with the same team behind the scenes, hopes seem to be high.
This is only the beginning of the sequel's journey, so there's plenty of speculation to be had. Will it be good? Probably. Will it make a lot of money? Probably. Ok, good speculation.
Source: Jeff Fowler|Twitter