The first Sonic the Hedgehog movie surprised a lot of audiences when it was released back in early 2020 and it has been considered as one of the best video game film adaptations. It prompted Paramount Pictures to officially greenlight a sequel as they're planning to turn it into one of their biggest franchises. Now, it looks like they are also going to venture into streaming television.
According to Variety, during Paramount's recent investor day presentation, Paramount+ announced that they are working on a Sonic the Hedgehog spinoff series centering on the character of Knuckles. Idris Elba, who voices the character in the upcoming sequel, will be reprising the role. However, there are no details yet regarding the writer and the plot details whether it will be a prequel or a follow-up to the sequel. The series is planned to be launched by 2023.
"For more than three decades, Sonic the Hedgehog’s universe of vibrant, unique characters has generated one of the most passionate fanbases," Paramount Pictures CEO and Paramount+ chief content officer of Movies, Kids & Family Brian Robbins said. "We look forward to continuing our collaboration with Sega, Neal Moritz, and all our creative partners as we explore additive ways to holistically scale the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise across platforms and captivate its loyal audience around the world."
It is surprising to hear that they are working on a Sonic the Hedgehog spinoff series given that it would require them a lot of CGI. However, it is great that Elba will be returning to voice the character. While we haven't seen his full work yet, based on the trailer alone, it sounds like he is a great choice as the voice actor of the iconic character from one of the biggest video games of all time.
This also shows that Paramount is gearing up their streaming service as they are now developing a series centering on one of their biggest franchises that would hopefully attract a lot of subscribers and interest from the public. Knuckles is also a beloved character in the video games so it's not a bad idea to have a series around him. Let's just see what direction they will take with it.
Also Read: Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Teaser Drops Ahead of Super Bowl 2022
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is set to be released in theaters on April 8.