About a year ago, Sonic the Hedgehog was the last movie out in theaters right before lockdowns. The backdrop of the apocalypse, it would seem, was not a Batman V. Superman movie like in I am Legend, but, instead, a poster of Jim Carrey staring intently toward an internet- improved Sonic the Hedgehog.

Now a year or so removed from its initial release as well as one of the last true film distributions throughout the world, the director of the film, Jeff Fowler, has announced that production on the sequel, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, has started today.

Lights, camera, hedgehog. Production on Sonic the Hedgehog 2 starts TODAY! #SonicMovie2 pic.twitter.com/UsIgtZqn3s

— Jeff Fowler (@fowltown) March 16, 2021

Paramount seems happy with the overall response from the first film, and are clearly fast-tracking the sequel. The first film initially garnered backlash due to Sonic’s look, but after a redesign and a solidly-fun kids movie release, most critics and audiences  alike enjoyed Sonic the Hedgehog.

Returning in the sequel, based on reports of scripts being read and contracts, are Ben Schwartz in the title role, Jim Carrey as Doctor Robotnik, and James Marsden and Tika Sumpter as Tom and Maddie Wachowski. An after credit scene, as well as the design for the title of the sequel, revealed that Tails, a popular character from the game series, will be in Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

The film is set for an April 8, 2022 release date.