Sonic is speeding back to the big screen! The much-anticipated Sonic The Hedgehog 2 will hit theaters in 2022. After the first movie based on the classic video game character raked in over $319 million, another movie with everyone’s favorite hedgehog seemed like a no-brainer.
Sonic The Hedgehog 2 will take place after the events of the original Sonic The Hedgehog movie, which came out in February 2020. The Paramount Pictures and Sega Sammy Group production was announced a few months after the first movie premiered. It boasts much of the same cast with Ben Schwartz returning to voice the titular hedgehog.
The production company set the release date for April 2022, and it’s sure to be just as much of a fun romp as the original film was. With an all-star cast and classic characters for both longtime gamers and newly approaching fans, Sonic The Hedgehog 2 will surely be a hit with audiences of all-ages. HollywoodLife rounded up all the details of what you need to know about the upcoming sequel.
‘Sonic The Hedgehog 2’ Cast & Crew
Ben Schwartz is returning as Sonic, but there are plenty of stars from the original film are reprising their roles for the sequel. Alongside Ben, Colleen O’Shaugnessey will also return to be the voice of Tails, Sonic’s best friend and sidekick. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like Donna Jay Fulks will reprise her role as Longclaw, as she’s not listed on the movie’s IMDb page.
Plenty of the live action stars are also returning for the film. Most notably, Jim Carrey will return as Sonic’s nemesis Dr. Ivo Robotnik. Other than the comedian, Lee Majdoub will return as Dr. Robotnik’s ally Agent Stone. James Marsden also returns as the sheriff and Sonic’s pal Tom Wachowski. Alongside James, Tika Sumpter will reprise her role as his veterinarian wife Maddie, and Natasha Rothwell will play Maddie’s sister Rachel. Adam Pally also returns as Tom’s deputy, Wade.
While many of the stars of the film are familiar faces to those who saw the first movie, there are a few newcomers to the franchise! Criminal Minds star Shemar Moore is listed on the movie’s IMDb page, but his role hasn’t been made public yet. Most notably though, Idris Elba will make his debut in the franchise as the voice of Knuckles, a red echidna, who is instantly recognizable to fans of the video game.
Similar to how the film reunites much of the original cast, many of the same people are behind the scenes for Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Jeff Fowler returned as the director, after making his feature-length debut as the director of the first movie. Pat Casey and Josh Miller both returned as writers, but with the addition of John Whittington working on the screenplay.
What We Know About The ‘Sonic The Hedgehog 2’ Plot
The first Sonic The Hedgehog movie showed how Sonic got to Earth from his home planet, after being hunted by echidnas. It also chronicled how the super-powered hedgehog befriended Tom and his family. It also explained how Sonic and Dr. Robotnik’s rivalry began, with the villain trying to capture Sonic and his magic rings to power his machines. The hedgehog defeats the scientist, and he’s exiled to another planet. At the end of the film, Sonic is friends with Tom and his family, and they enjoy a happy life in Green Hills, Montana, but Dr. Robotnik also returns, using a magic ring.
While not much is known about the details of the new movie, it seems to pick up right where the first movie left off. Sonic stays home alone for the first time, while Tom and Maddie go on a getaway, but Dr. Robotnik returns with Knuckles to help him find a powerful emerald, according to Collider. Sonic gets help from his friend Tails to try to find the emerald before Dr. Robotnik and Knuckles do! The movie’s poster shows Tails flying an airplane while Sonic rides on top. They’re being chased by Dr. Robotnik, and it looks like there are a few drones in background also pursuing them!
Release Date & Production Information
Sonic The Hedgehog 2 will hit theaters on April 8, 2022. Paramount Pictures and Sega Sammy announced the sequel alongside a number of other movies in May 2020, via Variety. The first poster for the movie was shared from the movie’s Twitter account on December 8, 2021, and the trailer was announced to premiere at the Game Awards on December 9.
The movie began filming on March 15, 2021, and director Jeff Fowler announced that shooting began with a tweet. The British Columbia Film Commission website noted that the movie would start its filming in the Canadian city, according to GamesIndustry.biz. Days before filming began MPC was revealed to be the company providing visual effects for the movie, via AnimationXPress. While filming in Canada, Jim Carrey showed his appreciation for the crew by raffling off a $40,000 car, which was won by a grip on the film, per Variety.
Other than Canada, some parts of the film were also shot in Hawaii. Jeff announced that the Aloha State was the final location that they were shooting, with a tweet on June 25, saying that they had finished filming. “That’s a wrap. Thank you,” he wrote. He also shared a scenic photo of some of the crew looking out on a sunset.