The cinematic world of Sonic the Hedgehog continues to expand, as production began today on the television spin-off focused on Knuckles, the explosive character voiced by Idris Elba. After being introduced to Sonic and his friends during the events of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Knuckles is set to live out his own adventure, where he’ll get to know his own group of secondary characters before the franchise returns to the big screen next year. Behind the scenes, some familiar faces will be returning to this world, as the same crew that has worked on the two movies will also be a part of this spin-off.

Jeff Howler, who has stepped behind the camera for both Sonic the Hedgehog movies, will be in charge of directing the pilot episode of Knuckles, telling the story of the protagonist on a hilarious and action-packed journey of self-discovery as he agrees to train Wade (Adam Pally) as his protégé and teach him the ways of the Echidna warrior. Other cast members that will be joining the fun are Edi Patterson, Julian Barratt, Scott Mescudi, Ellie Taylor and guest star Rory McCann. Since production for the series began last month, it is possible that it will be launched on the platform before the third Sonic movie races into theaters.

While the first Sonic movie hit the big screen a few weeks before the pandemic caused movie theaters to be closed for more than a year, it still managed to be successful at the box office before the lockdown, added to a good performance on digital platforms some time after that. The results made Paramount confident in developing a sequel, which would be released two years after the adaptation introduced the world to this version of the lovable video game character. When the second installment was also very profitable, the studio realized they had a franchise in their hands that was a perfect candidate for expansion across different media.

The Future of Sonic the Hedgehog

When a studio is in control of an intellectual property with years worth of material they can explore, it is expected for them to try and develop as much content as they can. But, since the crew behind the Sonic movies and the upcoming Knuckles television series has proved through their work, they deeply care about the characters, and they won’t create projects solely with the intention of expanding the franchise. For now, there’s only the third Sonic installment, coming to theaters on December 20th, 2024, on the horizon. But, if the upcoming projects continue to be a success for Paramount and SEGA, don’t be surprised if the lovable hedgehog and his friends return for more adventures. After all, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 will have tough competition at the box office.

While you wait for Knuckles to make his way to Paramount+, you can check out the production announcement post and official trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog 2 below:

via Collider