Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Blazing Back to Consoles

Paramount Pictures has announced the release date for the next installment in the popular Sonic the Hedgehog film franchise. Sonic the Hedgehog 4 is slated to premiere in theaters on March 19th, 2027, according to Variety.

While no plot details or casting information beyond the release date have been revealed, the announcement comes as no surprise given the immense success of Sonic the Hedgehog 3. The third film raked in a remarkable $218 million domestically and over $420 million worldwide, solidifying its position as the highest-grossing film in the franchise to date. This surpasses the already impressive $148 million earned by the first film, a feat particularly noteworthy considering the initial controversy surrounding the original Sonic design.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 also achieved the distinction of being the second highest-grossing video game movie in North America, trailing only the animated Super Mario Bros. Movie. This continues the long-standing cinematic rivalry between Nintendo and Sega.

The live-action Sonic franchise continues to expand, now encompassing three feature films and a Knuckles spin-off streaming series. The films, based on the beloved Sega video game series, follow Sonic (voiced by Ben Schwartz) as he confronts 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).

Although Sonic 3 hinted at another character joining the franchise, we'll avoid spoilers here. For more information, including details on the new character, check out our character guide and review of Sonic 3.