Paramount is greenlighting another “Sonic” movie, as the latest is on track to beat Disney’s surprisingly weak “Lion King” prequel

• Paramount announced Sonic the Hedgehog 4 just as the third film is about to be released.

• “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” is expected to have a bigger domestic premiere than “Mufasa: The Lion King.”

• 2019’s The Lion King remake grossed $1.6 billion worldwide, but expectations for the prequel are far lower.

Paramount announced that a new Sonic film is already in development ahead of Sonic the Hedgehog 3’s opening weekend.

The announcement came at a time when sales forecasts for “Sonic 3” were surprisingly positive – and even ahead of Disney’s anticipated “Mufasa: The Lion King.”

The franchise is based on the popular Sega video games about the blue speedster, who has been starring in games for more than 30 years. Paramount brought Sonic to live-action in the 2020 film Sonic the Hedgehog and a 2022 sequel.

“Parks and Recreation” star Ben Schwartz voices Sonic in the film series and Jim Carrey plays his nemesis Dr. Robotnik.

According to TheNumbers.com, the two films grossed a combined $707 million. And Paramount appears to have confidence in the third film, as Variety reported that the studio has already greenlit Sonic the Hedgehog 4 for spring 2027, ahead of the threequel’s December 21 release.

“Sonic the Hedgehog 3” will compete with Disney prequel “Mufasa: The Lion King” over the holidays.

The Hollywood Reporter estimated that “Sonic” would lead the way with $60 million in its first weekend, versus $50 million for “Mufasa.”

The broadcaster sources its estimates from theater chains and major analytics companies such as Nielsen and Comscore and is well-respected in the film industry.

The difference is a shock given the historical power of the “Lion King” story. The 2019 remake of “The Lion King” grossed $1.6 billion worldwide, making it one of Disney’s biggest financial successes.

“Sonic the Hedgehog 3” received a whopping 87% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes ahead of its release, while “Mufasa” received a “rotten” 54% rating.

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