Paramount plans an action-packed two-punch with its big family franchises for the holiday season in 2028 as the studio announces dates for upcoming Sonic and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles universe films.
According to Deadline, the next chapter in the Sonic saga is going to be a spin-off from the Sega franchise of characters and not a direct sequel to Sonic the Hedgehog 3. It’s slated for December 22, 2028, and the plot is under wraps, but if its television spin-off Knuckles starring Idris Elba is any indication, we’re thinking it’s probably a vehicle for another one of the video game’s fan-favorite characters.
Shadow immediately comes to mind, as the iconic dark hedgehog was voiced by Keanu Reeves in the franchise’s latest films, and you don’t cast a megastar like that unless you’re seeing spin-off appeal, plus it doesn’t hurt that the fans are clamoring for more Shadow. Eagle-eyed Redditors did also discover that Sega has quietly filed for a “Shadow the Hedgehog” trademark in Japan, so take that as you will. It could be a movie or a game; we’ll see soon!
The previously announced Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles feature, not a sequel to the recent animated film, will bring the turtles back to live-action in a hybrid film planned to open on November 17, 2028. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise is as popular as ever; Paramount’s three movies have pulled in about $913 million, plus demand for merch is still high; as Deadline reports, the Turtles raked in $1 billion in retail in 2023 alone.
It makes sense for Paramount to drive its stake in family franchises through its Sonic and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles universes, which have plentiful lore to mine. While we’re excited about the potential of spin-offs to come to expand the worlds of these beloved characters for generations to come, we’re cautiously hopeful that the creative input is just as valued; we want more Mutant Mayhem and Sonic 3 quality content than just drivel to push out more action figures.
Thankfully, as recently reported, Sonic the Hedgehog producer Neal H. Moritz has been enlisted to shepherd Turtle Power into live-action with the same Sonic touch, and the animated Mutant Mayhem sequel is still on the way for a 2027 release, despite the cancellation of The Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles show.
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