Paramount PicturesDespite almost self-destructing before it even began with a disastrous first look, the Sonic the Hedgehog live-action film series has proven to be very successful in the relatively short time it’s been around. The last installment, Sonic the Hedgehog 3, made over $490 million on a budget of only $122 million. And with just three films across six years, the series has already grossed over $1.2 billion at the worldwide box office, proving that there is a legion of fans out there eager to see the blue blur and his ever-expanding cast of allies on-screen.Now, two years after the release of that third film, director Jeff Fowler has teased the return of Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and all of his friends with a “Now Filming” update posted on Instagram. In it, Fowler wields the massive Piko Piko hammer that belongs to none other than Sonic’s longtime “girlfriend” Amy Rose, reminding us that there are quite a few new faces arriving in Sonic the Hedgehog 4 that we can look forward to.When Is The Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Release Date?As of right now, Sonic the Hedgehog 4 has a planned release date of March 19th, 2027, three years after the last installment landed in theaters. Amy Rose made her cinematic debut in a post-credits scene at the end of Sonic 3. | Paramount PicturesWhat Is The Plot Of Sonic The Hedgehog 4?While no official plot synopsis has been revealed yet, one of two post-credits teasers at the end of the 3rd film gave fans a brief glimpse at what to expect, and there’s a strong possibility at least some of it will be lifted from a game that added two of the franchise’s most underrated characters. In the clip, Sonic is attacked by Metal Sonic – a sinister robotic clone of the Fastest Hedgehog Alive created by Dr. Robotnik – and manages to defeat him, only to discover a dozen other clones just like him. Right before they leap into action though, Sonic is saved by the appearance of Amy, who makes short work of all of them with her hammer.Both Metal Sonic and Amy Rose were introduced in 1993’s Sonic CD, which is widely considered to be one of the best of the character’s 2D platforming era. While Jeff Fowler has already stated that the movie won’t exclusively follow the story of Sonic CD, it’s safe to assume he’ll be borrowing from its plot in some key ways, which sees Sonic and Robotnik duel it out on another planet to gain control of the Time Stones, an alternative to the Chaos Emeralds which allow the user to shift the flow of time.While Sonic CD only features one Metal Sonic, the post-credits tease of Sonic 3 suggests there might be dozens of them. | SegaWho Is In The Cast Of Sonic The Hedgehog 4?There has been surprisingly little official confirmation as to what the returning cast of Sonic 4 will look like, but a few characters can reasonably be assumed to be returning, and two recent additions to the cast have just been announced over the last few days. Sonic 4 is confirmed to star:Ben Schwartz as Sonic the HedgehogKristen Bell as Amy Rose, a pink hedgehog and Sonic’s self-described girlfriendBen Kingsley, in an undisclosed key roleHowever, alongside our new cast members, it’s also safe to assume certain characters from previous installments will return, including:Colleen O’Shaughnessey as Tails, a yellow fox with twin tails and Sonic’s best friendIdris Elba as Knuckles, a red echidna with slight anger issues and the spirit of a warriorJim Carrey as Dr. Ivo Robotnik, a genius roboticist and mad scientist who is also Sonic’s arch-nemesisJames Marsden as Tom Wachowski, the sheriff of Green Hills, Montana and Sonic and Tails’ adopted fatherTika Sumpter as Maddie Wachowski, a local veterinarian in Green Hills and the adopted mother of Sonic and TailsAlthough it would be easy to just introduce Metal Sonic and Amy in the next film, with the massive roster of characters populating the Sonic universe, there could be quite a few more heroes and villains joining us for the next sequel. One thing is certain though — with the incremental rise in ticket sales from the first movie to the last, it’s hard to imagine a world in which Sonic 4 is not a resounding success at the box office for Paramount Pictures, which means fans will probably continue seeing the blue hedgehog in theaters for the considerable future.Sonic the Hedgehog 4 releases in theaters on March 19, 2027.