As you would possibly anticipate from the lightning-fast blue hedgehog, the Sonic film franchise is choosing up velocity. After Sonic the Hedgehog 2 opened to over $70 million domestically earlier this 12 months, on its technique to $400 million worldwide, a 3rd movie was inevitable. What was extra stunning was the date that third movie chosen and the center it took to take it.

As introduced on Monday, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 will hit theaters December 20, 2024. It’s a prime vacation launch date that ought to give the movie room to play not simply via the tip of the 12 months, however into the next one. It’s such a first-rate launch date, the truth is, that Disney has been sitting on it for a number of years, at the moment earmarking it with James Cameron’s Avatar 3. So, because it stands, on December 20, 2024, the blue hedgehog might be exhibiting down with the blue Na’vi folks of the planet, Pandora.

This is a giant deal. Don’t overlook, Avatar is the best grossing movie ever. Period. Its grossed over $2.8 billion globally, greater than any Star Wars or Marvel movie. Plus, it’s being rereleased on September 23, so it’s going to inch even nearer to the beforehand unimaginable variety of $3 billion. (It’s not going to gross the $250 million essential to hit three billion, however nonetheless, it’s spectacular.) That’s all main as much as the December 16 launch of Avatar: The Way of Water, Cameron’s long-awaited sequel. A movie that everybody is so assured might be a mega-hit, it’s allowed the filmmaker to work on a sequel years earlier than launch.

So, that Sonic landed on that date, after releasing the earlier two movies in February and January respectively, is sort of stunning. The firm may have simply stated “January 2025″ and no one would have blinked. But no, it said “We’re going up against Avatar” in a move that’s either a huge vote of confidence in Sonic, a huge slap in the face to Avatar, or maybe a bit of both. It’s staggeringly brazen, especially when you realize Avatar and Sonic are both going after that same four-quadrant family audience. One is sure to siphon off the other. But which will win? (If this happens, of course. Release dates tend to change a lot. Especially Avatars.)

There’s also the very off chance that December 2024 sees the release of a new Star Wars movie. No, it’s not on the schedule at the moment. But for years Disney’s plan has been to swap Avatar and Star Wars films each Christmas from 2022 forward. It starts this year with Avatar, but it’s looking less and less likely that a new Star Wars movie will be ready for 2023. Could it then come out in 2024? What would that mean for Avatar? Who knows.

What we do know is that Sonic the Hedgehog is ready to take on any of them. A statement no one could have predicted just a few years ago.

Want extra io9 information? Check out when to anticipate the most recent Marvel and Star Wars releases, what’s subsequent for the DC Universe on movie and TV, and all the pieces it’s worthwhile to learn about House of the Dragon and Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.