‘Sonic the Hedgehog 4’ Is Moving at Warp Speed Toward 2027 Release Date

4 weeks ago 17

Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails in 'Sonic the Hedgehog 3'

Published Mar 4, 2026, 3:31 PM EST

Chris is a Senior News Writer for Collider. He can be found in an IMAX screen, with his eyes watering and his ears bleeding for his own pleasure. He joined the news team in 2022 and accidentally fell upwards into a senior position despite his best efforts.

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It might be Blue Blur season again. Following the rip-roaring success of Sonic the Hedgehog 3, it was only a matter of time until we got news of what's next. While Sonic the Hedgehog 4 was greenlit very quickly following the successful release of its predecessor, news has been quite thin on the ground. Paramount Pictures has set Sonic the Hedgehog 4 for a theatrical release on March 19, 2027. And if that wasn’t enough, an additional untitled film in the franchise is already slated to hit theaters in late 2028. But now, we have a huge update.

Director Jeff Fowler took to social media on Monday to confirm that Sonic the Hedgehog 4 has officially begun production. And he didn’t just drop a casual update — he posted a photo of himself holding the iconic hammer associated with pink fan-favorite Amy Rose. “Ready 4 Action,” Fowler captioned the post. “#SonicMovie4 now filming.” Last month, it was confirmed that Kristen Bell is set to voice Amy Rose, marking the character’s big-screen debut in the live-action franchise. For longtime fans of the Sonic the Hedgehog universe, that’s a major moment.

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How Good Is 'Sonic'?

Collider’s review by Aidan Kelley stated that Sonic the Hedgehog 3 sticks to the winning formula that turned the franchise from “Ugly Sonic” punchline into a legit video game adaptation success story — delivering crowd-pleasing action and fan service — but it also signals that the series will need to evolve if it wants to level up beyond “really good.”

Carrey, however, once again steals the show. Playing both Ivo Robotnik and his grandfather Gerald Robotnik, Carrey manages to differentiate the two characters with impressive physicality and comedic flair. His improvised, cartoonish villainy remains the trilogy’s most consistent highlight.

"Overall, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 ends a refreshingly consistent trilogy that is just as good as its predecessors. One could easily argue that Shadow and Dr. Robotnik's arcs propel it to be even better, but while this is a definitive end for a trilogy, it's also very clearly not the end of the franchise (especially given the film's several end-credits sequences). Paramount has already teased its ambitious plans for the Sonic saga, and if the series wants to live up to the lofty legacy of something like the MCU, then it needs to learn how to take things to the next level and go from a trilogy of really good movies to a franchise made up of really great ones."

Paramount Pictures has set Sonic the Hedgehog 4 for a theatrical release on March 19, 2027.