Following the 2020 film release of “Sonic the Hedgehog,” the blue-furred speedster is back again for 2022’s “Sonic the Hedgehog 2.” The movie, based on the famous and long-running video game, was released with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 63% and earned over $319.7 million worldwide. However, not all countries will be able to see Sonic this time around, such as Russia. Due to the Ukrainian Crisis, Paramount Pictures is halting releases in Russia. Several other companies are doing the same, such as Disney and Sony, who are also not releasing Pixar’s “Turning Red” and “Morbius” respectively. As for the United States, the movie will be released April 8, 2022.

The film, directed by Jeff Fowler, reprises Ben Schwartz in his role as the title character, Sonic. Jim Carrey also returns in his role as the main antagonist, Dr. Eggman, who was previously known as Dr. Robotnik. James Marsden and Tika Sumpter will also return in their original roles as Tom and Maddie Wachowski respectively, with new faces such as Idris Elba as the upcoming antagonist Knuckles and Colleen O’Shaughnessey as newly-debuted sidekick of Sonic Tails. Other cast members appearing in the upcoming movie include Adam Pally, Natasha Rothwell, and Shemar Moore.

The sequel picks up almost right after the first film, after Sonic, who comes from a different planet, defeats Dr. Robotnik and keeps the evil scientist from using him as a weapon to rule the world. Sonic, along with his friends Maddie and Tom, send the doctor off to the planet of mushrooms to keep him from doing any harm. In the second movie, Dr. Robotnik returns from the planet of mushrooms with his new sidekick, Knuckles, with a new plan to rule the world. The pair are in search of a powerful emerald, one with the power of destroying and creating civilizations, while the hero of the story, Sonic, is settling down in his new home in Green Hills while his friends Tom and Maddie are on vacation. However, adventure is calling his name as he teams up with a new sidekick named Tails in order to prevent the emerald from and hopefully prevent another apocalypse.

“It’s going to be a very good movie starring Sonic the Hedgehog,” says junior Bryant Waldron.

“I’ve never seen the first one, but the trailer looked interesting,” says junior Alicia Baston-Sandoval.