SEGA Unveils Sonic's Return in "Sonic the Hedgehog 4" Launch Date Reveal

Paramount Pictures has announced a March 19, 2027 release date for the next installment in the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, according to Variety. This news comes two years after the release of Sonic the Hedgehog 3, which raked in a significant $218 million domestically and over $420 million globally, making it the highest-grossing film in the series. This success follows the initial film's impressive $148 million box office haul, especially noteworthy considering the initial design controversy surrounding the first movie's titular character.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 also achieved the remarkable feat of becoming the second highest-grossing video game movie in North America, trailing only the animated Super Mario Bros. Movie, further fueling the long-standing rivalry between Nintendo and Sega on the silver screen.

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

While Sonic 3 hinted at another character joining the franchise, we'll avoid spoilers here. For details on the newest additions to the cast, check out our dedicated character guide. You can also find our review of Sonic 3 here.