A sequel to “Sonic the Hedgehog” is in development that will bring back Jeff Fowler to direct, Paramount Pictures and Sega Sammy confirmed to TheWrap Thursday.
The first film based on the speedy blue video game character from Sega starred James Marsden, Jim Carrey, Tika Sumpter and Ben Schwartz as the voice of Sonic and opened this February. With a $58 million opening at the box office, it was the biggest opening for any video game film ever.
Pat Casey and Josh Miller are also returning to write the script for the sequel. Neal H. Moritz, Toby Ascher and Toru Nakahara are producing, and Hajime Satomi, Haruki Satomi and Tim Miller are executive producing.
No plot details were revealed, and the project is still in development, so no casting or production start date has been set in stone. However, a post-credits scene for “Sonic the Hedgehog” teased the arrival of one of Sonic’s best friends and partners in the video game, Tails, a fox with the ability to use its two tails as a propeller to fly.
“Sonic” grossed $146 million at the domestic box office and $306 million worldwide against a reported $90 million budget. The film did not release in China or Japan due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the film’s performance there was expected to push global grosses past at least $400 million.
“Sonic the Hedgehog” was then released early on home entertainment due to COVID-19 and set Paramount’s record for first-day digital sales, launched at #1 on iTunes. The title has now sold nearly two million units worldwide and is also exceeding the studio’s expectations on VOD.
Variety first reported the news of the sequel.