Warning: SPOILERS lie ahead for Sonic the Hedgehog 2.
As the franchise continues to grow, the writing duo behind Sonic the Hedgehog 3 are teasing potential video game inspirations for the threequel. Patrick Casey and Josh Miller, the main team behind Golan the Insatiable, wrote the scripts for the first and second Sonic the Hedgehog movies, co-writing the latter with The Lego Batman Movie's John Whittington on a story treatment they wrote. Oscar nominee Jeff Fowler made his feature directorial debut on the first Sonic the Hedgehog and returned to the helm for the recently released sequel.
Led by Ben Schwartz as Sonic and Jim Carrey as the villainous Dr. Eggman, the Sonic the Hedgehog movies have received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics, with praise directed at the performances of its casts, action sequences and humor while criticism aimed at the screenplays, runtime and product placements. Both films have proven to be even bigger hits with audiences for successfully capturing the spirit of Sonic and Eggman from SEGA's game franchise and were box office smashes, grossing a combined $705.2 million and holding the record for the highest-grossing video game film in the United States. Thanks to this success, Paramount is moving forward with Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and a Knuckles spinoff series and the creatives behind the franchise are offering some insight for what's to come next.
On the heels of the film arriving on digital platforms and Paramount+, writers Pat Casey and Josh Miller partook in Klamath Community College's Comic-Con for a special Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Q&A. When asked which storylines they'd like to adapt for future movies, Miller teased which potential video games will serve as inspirations in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, citing the sequel's mid-credits as a sign of what's to come. See what Miller said below:
“The fact that Shadow is clearly going to be in the franchise moving forward, I don’t think it’s revealing anything to say we’d love to incorporate elements from Sonic Adventure 2 and Shadow the Hedgehog, his solo spinoff game.”
Following much speculation for the character's arrival in the film, Sonic the Hedgehog 2's mid-credits scene saw G.U.N. Commander Sam Walters learn of a secret research facility from 50 years ago housing the mysterious Project: Shadow, revealing Shadow the Hedgehog. Shadow was first introduced in Sonic Adventure 2 as a rival to the titular hero who was created by Eggman's grandfather Gerald Robotnik and revived by the villain to help conquer the world. Shadow and Sonic would eventually ally with one another after the former realizes Eggman's plans would destroy the world and remembers the promise he made to his friend Maria to protect the world.
Shadow has polarized reviewers over the years while players have fallen in love with the character, leading to his inclusion in future games, including the poorly received spinoff Shadow the Hedgehog. Given both the spinoff and Sonic Adventure 2 expanded Shadow's storyline, including his ties to G.U.N., it's understandable Sonic the Hedgehog 3 would borrow inspiration from both titles, especially as the games saw the hedgehogs interact with humans. Only time will tell how the games factor into the sequel when Sonic the Hedgehog 3 hits theaters in 2024.
Source: Klamath Community College