Paramount Pictures has announced a March 19, 2027 release date for the next installment in the successful Sonic the Hedgehog film franchise. This news comes from Variety, giving fans a two-year wait until the blue blur returns to theaters. Currently, no plot details or casting information beyond the release date have been revealed.

The announcement is unsurprising, given the box office triumph of Sonic the Hedgehog 3. The film raked in $218 million domestically and over $420 million worldwide, making it the highest-grossing Sonic film to date, surpassing the first film's impressive $148 million. This success is particularly noteworthy considering the initial controversy surrounding the character's original design, which underwent significant changes during post-production.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 also holds the distinction of being the second highest-grossing video game movie in North America, trailing only the animated Super Mario Bros. Movie, a testament to the enduring rivalry between Nintendo and Sega on the big screen.

The live-action Sonic universe continues to expand, now encompassing three feature films and a Knuckles-centric spin-off streaming series. The films, based on the popular Sega video game series, follow Sonic (voiced by Ben Schwartz) as he battles his arch-nemesis, Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey). Each film has introduced more characters from the games, including Tails (Colleen O'Shaughnessey) and Knuckles (Idris Elba), with Sonic 3 finally introducing Shadow the Hedgehog (Keanu Reeves).

While Sonic 3 hinted at the next character joining the franchise, we'll avoid spoilers here. For those eager to learn more, a detailed character guide is available (read at your own risk!), along with a review of Sonic 3 itself.