A third live-action Sonic the Hedgehog movie is on the way, and it’s set for release on December 20th, 2024, the film’s official Twitter account has confirmed.
There’s no word yet on whether Ben Schwartz will return in the titular role, or whether director Jeff Fowler, or writers Pat Casey and Josh Miller will be back either. This release date, though, puts it directly up against James Cameron’s second Avatar sequel, currently being produced under the working title Avatar 3. It’s the blue CGI character showdown we’ve all been waiting for.
Development on the third Sonic film was first announced in February, alongside the news that Paramount and Sega were also working on a live-action series featuring Idris Elba’s Knuckles for streaming service Paramount Plus. It seems safe to assume, then, that Elba will return for Sonic’s third live-action outing.
What’s less certain, as Polygon points out, is whether Jim Carrey will return as Doctor Robotnik. The actor said that he was “fairly serious” about retiring from acting in an interview with Access Hollywood. “I have enough. I’ve done enough. I am enough,” Carrey said at the time. The film’s producers subsequently confirmed that they wouldn’t recast Robotnik if Carrey does retire.
Aside from the widespread mockery that the initial design for Sonic generated, the franchise’s two live action films have been wildly successful at the box office. Between them, they’ve grossed over $700 million internationally, making them two of the most successful film video game adaptations ever made.
The highest grossing individual video game adaptation, however, remains Duncan Jones’ Warcraft, which was released in 2016 and has since grossed almost $440 million worldwide (buoyed largely by a rapturous reception in China).
