Mark your calendars, Sonic fans! The next thrilling installment in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, Sonic the Hedgehog 4, is slated to race into theaters on March 19, 2027. Paramount has officially announced this release date, giving us just two years to wait before we see the iconic blue blur back in action. While details about the plot and new characters remain under wraps, the anticipation is already building.

The decision to greenlight another film comes as no surprise, especially after the resounding success of Sonic the Hedgehog 3. The latest movie in the franchise raked in an impressive $218 million at the domestic box office and soared past $420 million worldwide, making it the highest-grossing Sonic film to date. This is a significant achievement, especially when considering the initial controversy surrounding Sonic's design in the first film, which was later revamped in post-production. The first Sonic movie, despite the early hiccups, still managed to pull in a respectable $148 million.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 not only set a new benchmark for the franchise but also secured its place as the second highest-grossing video game movie of all time in North America, trailing only behind the animated Super Mario Bros Movie. This success continues the storied rivalry between Nintendo and Sega, now playing out on the big screen.

The live-action Sonic franchise has seen steady growth, now encompassing three feature films and a Knuckles streaming TV show spinoff. Rooted in the beloved Sega video game series, the films follow Sonic, voiced by Ben Schwartz, as he battles his arch-nemesis, Dr. Robotnik, portrayed by Jim Carrey. Each subsequent film has expanded the Sonic universe, introducing fan-favorite characters like Tails (voiced by Colleen O'Shaughnessey) and Knuckles (voiced by Idris Elba). The most recent addition, Sonic the Hedgehog 3, brought Shadow the Hedgehog to life, voiced by Keanu Reeves.

While Sonic 3 has already teased the introduction of another character to the franchise, we'll keep that a surprise for now. For those eager to learn more, you can check out our new characters guide. And don't forget to read our Sonic 3 review for a deeper dive into the latest adventure of everyone's favorite hedgehog.