Sonic the Hedgehog 2 has officially been given the title Sonic vs. Knuckles for its Japan release. The film is the latest entry in the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, which was first introduced as a 1991 Sega Genesis game. Over the years, the Sonic franchise has expanded to encompass almost 90 games as well as seven animated series and specials, four of which starred Family Matters‘ Jaleel White as Sonic. The 2020 film adaptation Sonic the Hedgehog was a surprising hit, grossing $320 million off an $85 million budget and becoming #6 in the worldwide box office for the year, though that was partially due to theaters shutting down during the COVID-19 pandemic.
With that kind of success, it was inevitable that the film would garner a sequel. Sonic the Hedgehog 2, which is coming to theaters on April 8, 2022, is reuniting the original cast and crew for another adventure. Director Jeff Fowler is re-teaming with screenwriters
Pat Casey and Josh Miller, with the main cast also set to return, including Ben Schwartz as the voice of Sonic, James Marsden as his companion Tom, Tika Sumpter as Tom’s partner Maddie, and Jim Carrey as the wicked Dr. Robotnik. Joining the cast this time around are Colleen O’Shaughnessey as Tails and Idris Elba as Knuckles.
On the official Sonic Movie web site for Japan, it has been revealed that the title will be slightly different in that territory. Instead of the streamlined Sonic the Hedgehog 2, it will be titled Sonic vs. Knuckles. This title is reminiscent of Japanese genre cinema’s long history of face-offs that can be traced all the way from the kaiju battle flicks of the 1960s like Mothra vs. Godzilla to films like the horror franchise face-off Sadako vs. Kayako from 2016. Check out the official Japanese logo for Sonic vs. Knuckles, below:
Knuckles is an iconic character from the Sonic the Hedgehog games, so it makes sense to highlight his presence in the film. The red echidna first appeared in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 in similar circumstances to how he appears in the trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog 2. He was tricked by Doctor Eggman into facing off against Sonic and Tails, though he would later switch sides and team up with them in the follow-up Sonic & Knuckles. He would then go on to appear in dozens of Sonic-related games through the franchise’s history.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is expanding the live-action universe by bringing in other characters from the games, which is only natural. However, it’s interesting how closely this film is hewing to the original introduction of Knuckles. This is especially surprising considering the extreme liberties the first film took with Sonic’s backstory and origin.
Key Release Dates
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Release Date:2022-04-08
