Sonic the Hedgehog Director Says He'd "Love to Do More With the Sonic Universe"

In the past, movies based on video games haven't had the greatest success rate. There have been a handful of exceptions, however, and Paramount's Sonic the Hedgehog is perhaps one of the most notable. While fans were understandably hesitant about the film, the movie released in February to critical and commercial success, making it one of the 2020 box office's lone success stories. Part of this success came from the film's faithfulness to the source material. Paramount has not officially announced a sequel at this time, but director Jeff Fowler has hinted at his desire to revisit the franchise in the near future.

"...nothing would bring me more happiness than getting another shot with these characters and to tell more stories," Fowler said in an interview with USA Today. "We'd love to do more with the Sonic cinematic universe."

Of course, Sonic the Hedgehog left the door wide open for a sequel. The movie ended with Sonic's long-time pal Tails arriving on Earth, and voiced by actress Colleen O'Shaughnessey. O'Shaughnessey has voiced the character in the Sonic Boom animated series, as well as multiple entries in the video games series, including Sonic Forces and Team Sonic Racing. It's unknown whether or not O'Shaughnessey will return beyond her brief cameo in the first film, but it's clear that Fowler has a desire to focus on additional characters from the Sonic universe, should the opportunity present itself.

"We would get that question a lot from fans, 'Is Tails in it? Is Knuckles in it?' All these fan-favorite characters," said Fowler. "We had to do that little fan Easter egg with Tails and say, 'We know you love these characters. We will absolutely get to them in future stories if we're able to.'"

Of course, an appearance by Knuckles seems equally likely. While the character did not appear in the first film, members of an echidna tribe did make a brief cameo in the film's opening. Fowler has since confirmed the tribe's connection to Knuckles. With Robotnik alive and scheming in another dimension, and Tails now on Earth, it certainly seems like a Sonic sequel could give franchise fans a lot to celebrate! Hopefully it will arrive sooner, rather than later.

Would you like to see a sequel to Sonic the Hedgehog? What would you hope to see in a follow-up film? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!