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Sonic the Hedgehog is officially in production, as confirmed by a new production photo posted by Jeff Fowler, the director of all the Sonic films. As you can see below, the production teaser image shows Fowler standing on set holding the clapboard to commence rolling cameras, as well as something else Sonic fans have waited decades to see onscreen.
That’s the hammer wielded by none other than the Sonic game icon Amy Rose. Sonic 3‘s post-credits scene was a teaser of the next installment of films, which saw Sonic (Ben Schwartz) get jumped by a gang of Metal Sonic robots. It looked like the speed little hedgehog was done for, until a hooded figure wielding a hammer leapt out and smashed the bots to bits. That figure was revealed to be a pink female hedgehog, who fans instantly recognized as Amy Rose. Now the character is set for her official debut in Sonic 4, voiced by Kristen Bell (The Good Place).
Amy Rose debuted in the video game Sonic CD in 1993 (although she technically first appeared in a Sonic manga a year prior). The CD-ROM game had a wild story, which saw Sonic battling Dr. Robotnik across eras of time, as the villain tries to create his ultimate robot army. Amy Rose was introduced as a plucky sidekick who also had a big crush on Sonic. While the character wasn’t exactly lovingly embraced by the fandom immediately, she did gain a strong cult following as an icon; she was brought back as a playable character in subsequent games like the racer, Sonic Drift, and Sonic Adventure (1998), where her design was updated to its present look. She would continue as both a playable character and an NPC in the Sonic games throughout the 2000s. As her presence in the lore grew, so did the divide over whether Amy was an essential addition to the franchise or an annoying caricature.
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It was in the 2010s and 2020s when Amy Rose got much bigger exposure, as a character in the Sonic animated series (Sonic Boom, Sonic Prime) that aired on TV and streaming, all over the world. By the time Sonic the Hedgehog 4 hits theaters in 2027, there will have been an entire generation of Sonic fans, as well as newcomer fans, who will associate Amy Rose (and her hammer) with the core cast of Sonic characters, right along Knuckles and Tails. And the casting of Kristen Bell (a fandom legend) suggests that Amy could hit the next phase of her rise in live-action spinoff projects, if she’s a major breakout in Sonic 4.
While not yet confirmed, the veteran cast of the Sonic film series is expected to return for Sonic 4. That includes Colleen O’Shaughnessey as Tails and Idris Elba as Knuckles; James Marsden and Tika Sumpter as Sonic’s guardians, Tom and Maddie Wachowski; Natasha Rothwell and Shemar Moore as close friends Rachel and Randall Handel, as well as the familiar faces (Krysten Ritter, Adam Pally, Lee Majdoub) who all pop up for bit roles or cameos in the franchise. Even Jim Carrey has walked back from being done with Dr. Robotnik, and may now return for Sonic 4 despite being killed off in the third film.
Sonic the Hedgehog 4 already has a release date of March 19, 2027. Discuss the film series with us on the Forum!
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