Sonic The Hedgehog 4’s Early Confirmation Gets Emotional Response From Franchise Writer

The latest Sonic movie may have only just landed in theaters, but one of the franchise’s key writers is already celebrating Sonic The Hedgehog 4’s surprise announcement. Based on Sega’s series of hit video games, the Sonic movies have become widely regarded as some of Hollywood’s most successful game adaptations. One day before the theatrical release of Sonic The Hedgehog 3, Paramount Pictures recently confirmed that Sonic 4 was in development with a prospective 2027 release date.

Speaking with ScreenRant in celebration of Sonic 3’s recent release, franchise writer Pat Casey reacts emotionally to the news that the franchise is set to expand with a fourth movie. Admitting that when the first movie was announced, expectations that the first movie adaptation would work were so low, they were even considered “a bit of a laughing stock.” However, Casey is thrilled to see the franchise continue to grow and expand off the success of the first two movies. Check out his comments below:

It’s great to be part of a successful franchise that we’ve had two hit movies. Part 3 will hopefully be a hit, and we just hope that the franchise continues to grow and continues to expand the audience. It’s been the same team on all these films, it’s almost like a family thing, and it’s just so exciting to see it grow. When the first movie was announced, no one gave us a chance, we were a bit of a laughing stock, even. So, it’s really gratifying to to have gotten the franchise to this point, really.

No One Could Have Predicted Sonic’s Box Office Successes

With the first two Sonic the Hedgehog movies already having pulled in over $725 million at the worldwide box office, and Sonic 3 already firmly on track to keep the trend going, it is not surprising that Paramount is interested in seeing the films continue. However, much as Casey suggests, early expectations surrounding the first movie were a far cry from the enormous kinds of success the brand now enjoys.

Not only were Casey and his fellow writers faced with working in a notoriously difficult genre to get right, but when audiences first saw Sonic’s original CGI design, the backlash was immediate and fierce. Ultimately prompting director Jeff Fowler to go back to the drawing board and delay the movie’s release an additional three months, the last-minute efforts to rescue the main character’s design ultimately paid off, with the original Sonic The Hedgehog movie even going on to break Marvel Studios’ decade-long streak of having the highest grossing film of the year.

Now, with Sonic 3 currently in theaters and work on Sonic 4 on the way, the franchise does not look to be slowing down anytime soon. Moreover, with the movies continuing to draw in an ever-growing list of A-list vocal talent, such as Idris Elba and Keanu Reeves, it is easy to see why Casey would be appreciative of being able to play such a key role in the franchise’s continuing growth.

Our Take On The Sonic Franchise’s Future

Expect To See More Of The Hedgehog Speedster

Buoyed by a healthy sense of humor and a reverence for the original source material, the Sonic franchise appears to have a bright future that is likely to continue well beyond the plans for Sonic the Hedgehog 4. Not only does the original game series contain well over a hundred entries that could continue to be mined for years to come, but the franchise has already proven the viability of potential spinoff projects like this year’s Knuckles TV show. All signs would suggest that Sonic and his friends will continue gracing people’s screens for years to come.