When Sonic the Hedgehog gets its long-awaited theatrical release on Valentine’s Day this year – because that’s the movie couples will be swooning over – it could mark the start of a burgeoning film franchise (could, I stress). That’s what Paramount are hoping for, at least, with the studio said to be planning to make the new release the first in a Sonic the Hedgehog cinematic trilogy, along with a potential spinoff for Jim Carrey’s Robotnik.

That’s according to our sources, the same ones who said a Scream reboot was in the works and that Yahya Abdul Manteen II is playing a young Morpheus in The Matrix 4, both of which were later confirmed. And while it obviously all depends on how the first film does at the box office, these plans certainly seem likely to move forward.

After all, commercially successful video game adaptations have been made, albeit fleetingly. Detective Pikachu performed strongly last year and now has a sequel in development, so, you know, Sonic could do it, too. Possibly. It’s a big property, to be sure, and Jim Carrey is a big box office pull (in films released 15 years ago).

Two International Posters Bring Us Closer To The New-Look Sonic The Hedgehog 1 of 3

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At the very least, the new adaptation’s relatively small production budget of $95 million gives it more leeway than similar projects that saw bloated outlay cripple their prospects. Whether the publicity over the redesigned animation, be it good, bad or ambivalent, does it a favour remains to be seen. It’s unlikely to have made things worse though given that Sonic’s previous appearance was near Cats levels of psychologically disturbing. There’s one more slice of trauma that unwitting audiences have been spared.

So, if you’re looking for the perfect Valentine’s date idea, look no further. Nothing says romance like a mad scientist hunting a blue anthropomorphic hedgehog in order to harness its supersonic speed powers. If your partner still loves you after they’ve been subjected to that, they just might be the one. Come to think of it, I’ve never been an agony aunt, but with advice that good, I’m going to abandon my current journalistic aspirations and take it up full time. All I need is a final Sonic the Hedgehog plug, and a frock. What seems to be the problem dear?