Sonic the Hedgehog has been enjoying something of a renaissance over the past year. After the incredible success of the Sonic the Hedgehog movie, taking in over $300 million USD at the box office, there has been renewed interest in the franchise as fans revisit old games while new projects are announced. A sequel movie was quickly greenlit, and now Sonic's creator Yuji Naka has weighed in on the upcoming flick.
With the Sonic the Hedgehog movie doing so well, it didn't take long for the spike in interest to result in new Sonic projects being announced. A new 3D animated series called Sonic Prime is set to arrive next year on Netflix. The collaboration between Sega, Wild Brain Studio, and Man of Action Entertainment promises to be a "high-octane adventure." Fans of Sonic are no doubt excited at the prospect of more, and while no new games have been announced, the film's success could lead to announcements in the future.
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While the title reveal for Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was not at all surprising, it did draw the attention of Naka, who took to Twitter to comment on the upcoming film. In his tweet, Naka said, "I'm looking forward to Sonic 2 being released. Seems like Tails will appear, doesn't it?" making note of the pair of tails that appear with a flutter off of the "2" in the title. Given Tails does appear in a stinger at the end of the first movie, his inclusion in the sequel should be a given.
Naka's endorsement of the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog sequel shows that the creator of the iconic character is still invested in Sonic, and is a likely glad to see the fan support shown. However, one thing that does throw a little wrench into any speculation regarding future Sonic projects has been the uncertainty surrounding the voice talent for Sonic Prime.
Tails' voice actor, Colleen O'Shaughnessey has confirmed she is not reprising her role in Sonic Prime, but has not made any statement regarding the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 film. While Tails is likely to still appear in the upcoming film, for some fans the person voicing the character is hugely important. If someone who has held the role for seven years is not going to be doing so going forward, it could be a deal breaker. With the sequel set to start filming in March, if everything stays on track 2022 should be an exciting year for Sonic fans.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 will be released in theaters in 2022.