In a report from Variety, it was confirmed that Paramount Pictures and Sega Sammy have officially started development of a sequel to the Sonic the Hedgehog film. The news was also confirmed by director Jeff Fowler on Twitter, who will direct the sequel as well. Pat Casey and Josh Miller will also be returning to write the script. We gave the original film an 8 out of 10 when we reviewed it earlier this year.

The sequel will be produced by Neal H. Moritz, Toby Ascher and Toru Nakahara. Tim Miller, Hajime Satomi, and Haruki Satomi will be executive producers for the sequel. Since the Moving Picture Company Vancouver studio was closed last December, it’s unknown if the other studios will pick up the slack. The film is still in the early stages, so not much is known yet, though fans that saw the original may have some ideas. If you haven’t seen it yet, then be warned of spoilers below.

At the end of the first film, Sonic had successfully defeated Dr. Robotnik (played by Jim Carrey) by sending him to the Mushroom planet. It is here that Robotnik seems to be plotting his revenge. An after-credits sequence has Tails, a longtime friend of Sonic in the games, appear from a ring portal. It appears that Tails is in search of Sonic, leaving room for a sequel.

There is no set date for when the Sonic the Hedgehog movie sequel can be expected. It will likely be no earlier than late 2021, but only time will tell. What do you think? Are you looking forward to a sequel? Let us know in the comments below!