Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is a 2022 action-adventure comedy movie based on the Sonic video game series. Jeff Fowler directed the film, and Pat Casey, Josh Miller, and John Whittington wrote it. Ben Schwartz, Jim Carrey, James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, Natasha Rothwell, Colleen O'Shaughnessey, and Adam Pally continue playing their roles, while Shemar Moore and Idris Elba join the cast. In the movie, Sonic and his friend Tails travel to find the Master Emerald before their enemy, Dr. Robotnik, and his helper, Knuckles the Echidna.

After the success of the first Sonic the Hedgehog (2020), Paramount Pictures announced the sequel in May 2020. Fowler, Casey, Miller, and the cast returned for the project. Filming happened from March to June 2021 in Vancouver and Hawaii. The movie was inspired by the video games Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992), Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (1994), and Sonic & Knuckles (1994).

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was released in theaters in several countries on March 30, 2022, in the United States on April 8, and in Japan on August 19. Like the first movie, it set records for how much money it made at the movies and received mixed reviews from critics. The film earned $405.4 million worldwide. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and the TV show Knuckles were released in 2024.

Plot

Sonic lives with the Wachowskis and tries to help people as a hero, but his carelessness often prevents him from succeeding. During a fishing trip, Tom tells Sonic to stay patient because his powers will be needed someday. Tom and Maddie leave for a wedding in Hawaii, leaving Sonic to take care of the house for the weekend.

That night, Sonic is attacked by Dr. Robotnik, who escaped from a planet where he was sent as punishment, and Knuckles, a warrior who is now Robotnik’s helper. Knuckles asks Sonic for the location of the Master Emerald, a powerful ancient object that can change reality. Sonic is saved by Miles "Tails" Prower, a young fox who admires Sonic and warns him about Knuckles.

Sonic convinces Tails to help him find the Master Emerald while Robotnik reunites with his assistant, Agent Stone, and forms a plan with Knuckles to steal the emerald. Using a map from Sonic’s former guardian, Longclaw, Sonic and Tails find a compass inside a temple in Siberia. Knuckles and Robotnik chase them down a mountain. Knuckles shares that he lost his tribe on the same day Sonic lost Longclaw. Despite this, Knuckles and Robotnik take the compass. Later, Knuckles becomes unsure of Robotnik’s loyalty after Robotnik mocks Sonic for saving Tails instead of the compass during an avalanche.

Tom saves Sonic and Tails from the avalanche by teleporting them to the wedding. Rachel’s fiancé, Randall, and the wedding guests are revealed to be undercover agents from the Guardian Units of Nations (G.U.N.), who planned the event to capture Sonic and Tails. Tom is arrested when he tries to stop them. Maddie and Rachel, who is now reconciled with Randall, rescue the trio. Meanwhile, Knuckles and Robotnik find an underwater temple where the Master Emerald is hidden.

Feeling guilty for hurting Tails, Sonic decides to face Knuckles and Robotnik alone. He fights Knuckles at the temple to stop him from taking the Master Emerald. Robotnik takes the emerald, causing the temple to collapse underwater. Robotnik betrays Knuckles and leaves him and Sonic behind. Sonic and Knuckles later team up after escaping a flood, and Tails rescues them in a biplane.

In Green Hills, Robotnik uses the Master Emerald’s power to create a giant robot. Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles work together to defeat the robot and its drones, reclaiming the emerald. The emerald breaks into seven Chaos Emeralds. Tom and Maddie save Sonic, who accidentally transforms into Super Sonic using the Chaos Emeralds. He destroys the robot, causing Robotnik to collapse with it. Sonic then disperses the Chaos Emeralds and returns to normal. Knuckles repairs the Master Emerald and agrees to protect it with Sonic and Tails. They live peacefully with the Wachowskis.

While G.U.N. searches for Robotnik, Stone pretends to be a soldier to avoid being caught. He overhears Commander Walters talking about a secret research facility, which Walters recognizes as the one holding Project Shadow.

Cast

• Ben Schwartz voices Sonic the Hedgehog, a blue hedgehog who looks like a human and has the ability to run extremely fast. Recordings of Benjamin L. Valic as a younger version of Sonic are used in scenes that show the past.
• Colleen O'Shaughnessey voices Miles "Tails" Prower, a fox who looks like a human and can fly using his twin tails. O'Shaughnessey is the only person who played a character in the Sonic video games to return for this movie.
• Idris Elba voices Knuckles the Echidna, a warrior who looks like a human and has great strength. Knuckles works with Robotnik to find the Master Emerald. Elba studied the character's history and identity to prepare for the role. The director, Jeff Fowler, wanted Knuckles to be shown as he was in earlier stories, describing him as someone who lives by honor and is a strong fighter.
• Donna J. Fulks voices Longclaw, an owl who looks like a human. Longclaw was Sonic's caregiver and once protected the Master Emerald.

• Jim Carrey voices Doctor Robotnik, a scientist who is Sonic's main enemy. Sonic calls him "Eggman."
• James Marsden voices Tom Wachowski, the sheriff of Green Hills, Montana, and a father figure to Sonic.
• Tika Sumpter voices Maddie Wachowski, Tom's wife, a veterinarian in Green Hills, and a mother figure to Sonic.
• Natasha Rothwell voices Rachel, Maddie's older sister, who does not like Tom.
• Adam Pally voices Wade Whipple, a deputy sheriff in Green Hills and Tom's friend.
• Lee Majdoub voices Agent Stone, a former government agent who works for Robotnik.
• Tom Butler voices Commander Walters, a military leader who now heads the Guardian Units of Nations (G.U.N.).
• Shemar Moore voices Randall Handel, Rachel's fiancé and a G.U.N. agent.
• Melody Nosipho Niemann voices Jojo, Rachel's daughter and the niece of Tom and Maddie.

Production

In April 2020, James Marsden said he wanted a sequel to the movie Sonic the Hedgehog (2020), which would include characters from the video games, such as Tails, who appeared in a scene after the credits in the first film. Jeff Fowler said he wanted to make a sequel that focused on Sonic and Tails’ friendship and on developing Dr. Robotnik. Later that month, Ben Schwartz said Paramount Pictures might not have announced a sequel yet because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but he wanted a sequel that included Tails and a more accurate version of Robotnik from the games.

In May 2020, Paramount Pictures confirmed a sequel to Sonic the Hedgehog was being made. Jeff Fowler would return as director, and Pat Casey and Josh Miller would write the story. Neal H. Mortiz, Toby Ascher, and Toru Nakahara would produce the sequel, having worked on the first film with Takeshi Ito. Tim Miller, Hajime Satomi, and Haruki Satomi would return as executive producers from the first film.

In December 2020, storyboard artist Fill Marc confirmed that Tyson Hesse, who redesigned Sonic for the first film, would return to work on the sequel. The film was named Sonic the Hedgehog 2 in February 2021. In May 2021, a summary of the story was shared when Paramount registered the film with the U.S. Copyright Office.

The film is inspired by the video games Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992), Sonic the Hedgehog 3, and Sonic & Knuckles (both 1994), but it is not a direct copy of them. Jeff Fowler said the film is a mix of ideas from many Sonic games.

On January 27, 2020, Jim Carrey said his character, Dr. Robotnik, could be explored more in a sequel. He said it would be fun to play the role again and that there was more to develop about Robotnik’s character.

On March 6, 2020, James Marsden confirmed he would be in multiple sequels. Other actors from the first film, including Jim Carrey, were confirmed throughout 2021. In February 2021, it was reported that Jason Momoa might play Knuckles the Echidna. On June 16, 2021, Shemar Moore joined the cast to play Randall, Rachel’s fiancé. On August 10, 2021, Idris Elba was announced as Knuckles the Echidna. For the Japanese version of the film, Inugami Korone, a VTuber from Hololive Production and the Japanese brand ambassador for the Sonic series, voiced a character. Shadow the Hedgehog appeared in a short scene in the mid-credits sequence, hinting at a bigger role in future movies.

In December 2020, the BC Film Commission said filming would take place from March 15 to May 10, 2021, under the working title Emerald Hill, a reference to a level in the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 video game. In January 2021, Tika Sumpter said the film would be shot in Vancouver and Hawaii.

Principal photography began in Vancouver on March 15, 2021, with Brandon Trost as the cinematographer. Jim Carrey gave away a Chevrolet Blazer to a crew member through a raffle on May 7. Filming in Vancouver ended on May 12, and filming in Hawaii wrapped on June 25.

Visual effects and animation for Sonic the Hedgehog 2 were done by Sega’s Marza Animation Planet and Moving Picture Company (MPC), who also worked on the first film. John Whittington was added as a co-screenwriter on August 10, 2021. DNEG provided visual effects for the mushroom planet and robot cockpit, using 185 shots in the film. Other visual effects were done by Animism Studios, Fish Flight Entertainment, Fatbelly VFX, Unit Motion Design, and Track VFX. Unlisted Studio created the animation for the backstory of the Master Emerald.

Music

On December 8, 2021, Tom Holkenborg, who also created the music for the first film, was chosen to return and compose the film's score. The film included a song titled "Stars in the Sky," which was the only original track made for the film by Kid Cudi. The soundtrack album was released by Paramount Music on April 8, 2022.

Release

On March 1, 2022, Paramount announced it would delay the movie’s release in Russia, which was originally planned for March 31, because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. On March 14, when tickets for the United States became available, Paramount announced an early screening event called a "Fan Event" for April 6.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was first shown in theaters in several countries, including France, the Philippines, and the Netherlands on March 30, 2022, and in the United Kingdom on April 1, 2022. The movie’s world premiere took place at the Regency Village Theatre in Los Angeles on April 5, 2022, and it was released in the United States on April 8, 2022.

The first poster for the movie was shown on December 8, 2021. The next day, the first trailer was released at The Game Awards 2021. The trailer includes a new version of Masato Nakamura’s "Emerald Hill Zone" music from the original Sonic the Hedgehog 2 video game. Fans liked the trailer, especially the character Knuckles, played by Idris Elba. Reviewers noticed that fans reacted more positively to this trailer than to the first trailer for the movie, which was released on April 30, 2019.

In the week before Super Bowl LVI, Paramount released four television commercials showing new scenes and introducing the Giant Eggman Robot. A special commercial aired during Super Bowl LVI on February 13, 2022. The movie’s theatrical poster did not include the name of actress Laura O'Shaughnessey, which upset fans. Later, updated posters added her name and the name of actor Adam Devine on the top of the billing block. The second and final trailer was released on March 14, 2022. Another poster was also shown, similar to the North American box art for the original Sonic the Hedgehog 2 video game.

Paramount spent less than $18 million on television ads in the United States to promote the movie, which reached 717 million people. On March 29, 2022, King, Sega, and Paramount worked together to create a special edition of the online game Candy Crush Saga to help promote the movie. The Mill created the visuals for the Happy Meal advertisements.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 became available for download and streaming on Paramount+ on May 24, 2022. On the same day, EPIX added the movie to its collection as part of Paramount’s agreement with the service. The movie was released on DVD, Blu-ray, and Ultra HD Blu-ray on August 9, 2022. Like the first movie, the digital and Blu-ray versions include an exclusive short film called Sonic Drone Home, fully animated by Marza Animation Planet and written by Pat Casey and Josh Miller. The film is directed by David Nelson and produced by Neal H. Moritz, Toby Ascher, Toru Nakahara, and Hitoshi Okuno. The short film shows Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles fighting one of Robotnik’s drones in Green Hills’ scrapyard. James Marsden plays Sonic again, while Tails, Knuckles, and the drone named Unit are voiced by Alicyn Packard (replacing Laura O'Shaughnessey), Fred Tatasciore (replacing Idris Elba), and Aaron Landon, respectively.

Reception

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 earned $190.9 million in the United States and Canada. It earned $214.5 million in other countries, totaling $405.4 million worldwide.

In the U.S. and Canada, it was released alongside the movies Ambulance and Everything Everywhere All at Once. Before its release, it was expected to earn at least $55 million in its first weekend from 4,232 theaters. Its target audience was people aged 16 to 25, and its release happened during spring break for 15% of K–12 schools. The film earned $26.8 million on its first day, including $6.25 million from Thursday night previews, which was double the original movie’s earnings. Over its three-day opening weekend, it earned $72.1 million, beating the original film’s three-day total of $58 million and Bruce Almighty’s $68 million. This made it Jim Carrey’s highest three-day domestic opening and Paramount’s biggest three-day opening since 2014. Six million tickets were sold in the U.S. and Canada during its opening weekend. It broke the opening record for a video game movie adaptation, which was previously held by the original Sonic the Hedgehog and later surpassed by The Super Mario Bros. Movie ($146.4 million).

Among opening audiences, 61% were male, 46% were aged 18 to 34, and 32% were under 17. The ethnic breakdown was 38% Hispanic/Latin American, 29% Caucasian, 20% African American, and 13% Asian or other. The film had the best pandemic-era opening for a children’s movie, the seventh-best April opening of all time, the second-best opening of early 2022, and the fifth-best opening since 2020. In its second weekend, it earned $29.3 million, finishing second behind Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore. It returned to the top of the box office on Easter Monday with $4.5 million. By its third weekend, it surpassed the original Sonic the Hedgehog to become the highest-grossing video game film in North America. It remained in the box office top ten until its twelfth weekend. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was the ninth-highest-grossing film of 2022 in the U.S. and Canada.

In international markets outside North America, the film opened in 31 countries and earned $26.1 million in its first weekend, outperforming the original film in these regions. In France, it earned $1.2 million on its first day, reaching the top of the charts and surpassing the original film’s opening day earnings by 30%. In the United Kingdom, it debuted at number one in its first weekend and later reclaimed the top spot from Fantastic Beasts in its fourth weekend, earning £20.2 million over four weeks. The film reached $300 million worldwide by its fifth weekend and $400 million by its thirteenth.

The review site Rotten Tomatoes gave the film an approval rating of 69% based on 182 reviews, with an average rating of 6/10. Its critical consensus stated, “It isn’t as much fun as the little blue guy’s greatest games, but if you enjoyed the first film, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 serves as a generally acceptable sequel.” Metacritic gave the film a weighted average score of 47 out of 100 based on 33 critics, indicating “mixed or average reviews.” Audiences gave the film an average grade of “A” on a scale from A+ to F (same as the first film), while PostTrak reported an 87% positive score, with 74% saying they would definitely recommend it.

Amy Nicholson of The New York Times gave the film a positive review, saying, “Jim Carrey’s reprised role as a villainous weirdo helps this fast-paced, family-friendly video-game-movie sequel maintain a

Sequel film and television series

In February 2022, Sega of America and Paramount Pictures announced that Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and a Knuckles mini-series were being developed. Idris Elba returns to play Knuckles in the mini-series, which was released on the streaming platform Paramount+ on April 26, 2024. The release was delayed from 2023 due to the 2023 Actors and Writers Strike. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 was released in theaters on December 20, 2024. Jim Carrey returns as Sonic, and writers Casey, Miller, and Whittington continue their work on the script.

In April 2022, after Jim Carrey mentioned he might retire from acting, producers Moritz and Ascher stated that his role as Dr. Robotnik would not be replaced in future movies if he retired. However, they hoped to create scripts that might encourage him to continue. In February 2024, it was confirmed that Carrey would return to play Dr. Robotnik. Filming for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 began in July 2023 in Farnham, Surrey, England. However, no actors were present during filming due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.