A Sonic cinematic universe is on the way, says Sonic the Hedgehog 2 producer

A Sonic cinematic universe is officially in the works, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 producer Toby Ascher has teased.

Following on from the events of the first film, the eagerly anticipated sequel sees the titular spiky speedster join forces with Miles 'Tails' Prower, an anthropomorphic alien fox to stop mad scientist Doctor Ivo 'Eggman' Robotnik (Jim Carrey) and his new pal Knuckles (Idris Elba) from getting their hands on the Master Emerald, a mystical relic imbued with immeasurable power.

As reviews for the follow-up started emerging online, Ascher explained in a set of production notes: "We’re creating a Sonic cinematic universe. We knew we were going to add characters, like Tails and Knuckles; new to the films but beloved by gamers all over the world."

Not that his new comments really come as a surprise, though. Back in February, Sega and Paramount Pictures revealed that a third Sonic film and a live-action TV series have entered production. Elsewhere, it's been rumored that a movie centered on Tails is in development.

Released in February 2020, Sonic the Hedgehog sees the titular spiky speedster seek refuge on Earth after his home planet gets destroyed by a bunch of power-stealing echidnas.

There, Sonic lives a solitary existence, so as not to give his whereabouts away, but his loneliness inadvertently leads to him causing a blackout in the area, and when the government hires Robotnik to find out what happened, Sonic teams up with do-gooder human Tom (James Marsden, who also reprises his role in the second movie) to save the day... and himself.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 releases in US and UK cinemas on April 8. In the meantime, why not check out our roundup of the best family movies for some kid-friendly viewing inspiration.