Paramount Pictures has made a big announcement about their blue blur character that has caused the internet to get excited and honestly, it is hard to believe. Although the studio kept us all on edge with their announcement by mentioning an untitled holiday movie from the ‘Sonic Universe’ coming out on December 22, 2028, still that was not the end of it as they also confirmed that Sonic 4 will be racing into theaters on March 19, 2027. In other words, the Sonic film universe has been opened already and it is booked for the next few years. This is a clear sign that Paramount and Sega are ready to take their next big movie with the franchise that has been marked trending upward by the popularity of the first two films and the release of the recent Sonic the Hedgehog 3.
But then again, what was I talking about? Oh, the reaction, right. The news was first announced through the industry insider Geoff Keighley, and let’s just say that the responses were… chaotic as a mixed bag of chaos emeralds. A lot of people from the gaming community alerted that the recently released Sonic the Hedgehog 3 was not nominated in ‘Best Adaptation’ at The Game Awards this year. I mean, that was the only thing the comment section was talking about. The user RobGaming | RGN Studios even queried Geoff, ‘So, Sonic Movie 3 is in best adaptation… Where is it?’ and accompanied it with a meme.
And that was the feeling of a great many people. The majority of the replies gently expressed the sentiments of the community asking such questions as ‘Why was Sonic 3 snubbed’ and ‘You planning to snub that one too?’ suggesting that the gamers are still feeling the burn from the awards season. This is a paradox where the gaming community is looking forward to the future and at the same time, they are doubtful and watching closely the present situation.
So, what could this untitled ‘Sonic Universe Event Film’ even be? Players are already making crazy theories about it. DarkWingCarter put forward one very possible assumption: ‘I guess it could be Heroes or Adventure. Heroes is the Avengers but the downside is they would be reusing 4’s villain with Metal Sonic (so close to 4). Adventure gives them the excuse to bring back Amy, expand Echidna/Owl stuff, and Chaos being the show stopper.’ This actually sounds quite reasonable.
An ‘Adventure’ adaptation will lead them deeper into game’s lore, get a massive watery threat like Chaos, and also open up the world in a big way. But, there is another big contender whose name is the one everybody is whispering: Shadow. User cooki15xd simply asked, ‘Can it be Shadow?!’ and honestly, with the post-credits scene in Sonic 3, a solo Shadow film or an event centered around him feels like the next logical step. It’s all speculation right now, but the pieces are out there.
On the other hand, there are the purists who want a direct game adaptation. User Cramera (aka Aggressive Mutant) declared: ‘The only event that deserves a full-scale adaptation on big screens worldwide is STH 2006. No BUTs or IFs. This story was born like a movie, delivered like a movie, and feels like a movie.’ Okay, that’s a… rather daring view. Sonic ’06 is notorious among players for its glitches and confusing plot, but the idea of a redo of the movie is quite interesting even if it seems like a long shot. The argument in the comments reflects that there is no single answer — some want faithful game stories, others want new original tales for the movies. It’s a classic division in fandom.
In terms of scheduling, it is a marathon not a sprint. Early 2027 for Sonic 4, then this colossal event movie by the end of 2028. That’s a long wait but it also provides them with a lot of time to get ready for the ‘universe’ event. User DrA1e_ humorously suggested, ‘Sonic 4 in 2027 and another movie in 2028, maybe the movie titles will be Sonic 4 Episode I & ….’ which is quite funny, but then don’t give them any ideas!
But it does highlight that this is gradually being viewed as a proper franchise blueprint. They are securing their spot a long time before their rivals do, which can be interpreted as either super confident or a bit crazy. Probably both. The underlying feeling, however, that is coming through the hype and the snub complaints, is that people have formed a bond. Even sarcastic remarks like ‘oh suddenly you give a shit huh’ from Jingka ⭕ show that players have a strong opinion about the series.
