Sonic 4 finally received a positive update thanks to a new insider report. The upcoming fourth Sonic the Hedgehog film is set to be released in 2027 as part of SEGA's continued partnership with Paramount Pictures. The new movie has the potential to be the Blue Blur's biggest cinematic adventure yet, with the introduction of major new characters like Amy Rose and Metal Sonic, as well as a reported time-spanning plot pulled right from the games.
Insider Daniel Richtman is backing up these claims with a new Sonic the Hedgehog 4 report of his own. The known movie scooper shared on his X page that he's heard Sonic 4 will "have a bigger budget" than the previous Sonic films:
"I hear 'Sonic 4' will have a bigger budget."
This would continue the exciting trend established by each of the three previous Sonic films, in which each successive entry carried a larger production budget than the last.
For comparison, the first entry into the Sonic the Hedgehog movie franchise in 2020 was made for somewhere between $85-90 million, Sonic 2 for $90-110 million, and Sonic 3 for $122 million. This would mean that Sonic 4 (which could potentially be called Sonic CD) will eclipse at least that $112 mark set by the previous film in the series.
Sonic the Hedgehog 4 is set to race into theaters on March 19, 2027. The new movie from SEGA, Sonic Team, and Paramount Pictures will focus on the Blue Blur and his colorful super-speeding cohorts as they contend with the emergence of a mysterious new villain teased at the end of the last movie, Metal Sonic. Luckily, they will not be alone, as Sonic and friends will be joined by a new pink-quilled hedgehog named Amy Rose.
Sonic 4 will see Ben Schwartz return to voice SEGA's iconic spin-dashing mascot, along with Idris Elba as Knuckles the Echidna, Colleen O'Shaughnessey as Tails "Miles" Prower, and (potentially) Keanu Reeves as Shadow.
Why Sonic 4's Reported Budget Is Good News
Fans should take this new budget report for Sonic the Hedgehog 4 as a good thing. This is a positive update for 2027, especially as spare dollars are becoming increasingly scarce in the current economic climate.
Paramount putting more money behind Sonic 4 will likely mean the upcoming super-speeding blockbuster will look, sound, and feel better than ever before.
Not to say the other Sonic movies have been any slouches when it came to on-screen visuals, but the story that Sonic 4 seems to be teeing up will likely need a bit more of a financial commitment from the studio.
There have been hints that Sonic 4 will adapt, in part, the story of SEGA's Sonic CD video game. This particular outing for the chili dog-loving video game mascot sees Sonic travelling across time and space to stop the evil Doctor Robotnik and his new creation, Metal Sonic, from capturing and harnessing the powers of mysterious gems known as the Time Stones.
Fans seemed to get a tease of this in Sonic 3's post-credit scene, as it suggested that Sonic had perhaps slipped through time and come face-to-face with his robotic facsimile.
If Paramount and SEGA are going to take a stab at the visual feast that is the Sonic CD storyline, then they are going to have to pony up the appropriate amount ot make it look to the level that fans have come to expect from the Sonic movie franchise.
Luckily, thus far, Sonic the Hedgehog has been a massive success at the ticket window in the series' previous three theatrical outings, making the decision to up the budget a little bit easier.
