Last year, after nearly three decades years of racing around in video games, animated TV shows and comics, Sonic the Hedgehog finally made his theatrical debut, and while it didn’t quite overtake Detective Pikachu as the highest-grossing video game movie globally, it does hold the domestic record in that category. So it’s no surprise that Paramount Pictures greenlit a sequel, and today, just a few days after the Sega character celebrated his 30th birthday, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 has finished filming. Naturally director Jeff Fowler commemorated this achievement.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 began principal photography in mid-March, and now the sequel is officially done rolling cameras. Here’s how Jeff Fowler celebrated this step of the creative process coming to an end on Twitter.
While Sonic the Hedgehog 2 wrapped up its shoot in Vancouver on May 12, there were still plenty of scenes to film in Hawaii. Now that all the necessary footage has been captured there, it’s time for Jeff Fowler and his team to begin postproduction, i.e. editing, adding in the CGI elements (like good ol’ Sonic himself), etc. As for why Sonic the Hedgehog 2 set up shop in Hawaii for a few months, given that Knuckles the Echidna is confirmed to appear in the sequel, perhaps the island state is being used as the backdrop for Angel Island, Knuckles’ home.
When we reunite with Ben Schwartz’s Sonic the Hedgehog in his next cinematic adventure, he’ll still be living with James Marsden and Tika Sumpter’s Tom and Maddie Wachwoski, who welcomed the super speedy mammal into their home at the end of the first movie. However, Sonic is now craving more freedom, and he’ll get that when he’s allowed to stay home when Tom and Maddie go on vacation. Unfortunately, this coincides with Jim Carrey’s Dr. Robotnik finally escaping from the mushroom planet and working with Knuckles to obtain a powerful emerald. As such, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 will require Sonic and Tails (who cameoed in Sonic the Hedgehog’s mid-credits scene) to team up and find that emerald before it ends up in the wrong hands.
Along with the previously mentioned actors, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is also bringing back Adam Pally and Natasha Rothwell to reprise Wade Whipple and Maddie’s sister Rachel, respectively. Criminal Minds star Shemar Moore will also appear in the sequel, although it hasn’t been revealed yet who he’s playing. There also isn’t any word on who’s voicing Knuckles and Tails yet, although the latter was voiced by Colleen O'Shaughnessey (who’s played the character in the Sonic the Hedgehog video games since 2014), so maybe she’ll be back for another round as Tails.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 opens in theaters on April 8, 2022, the same day the Brad Pitt-led Bullet Train arrives. While we wait for more news about the video game movie, browse through our 2021 release schedule to learn what’s hitting the big screen later this year.
