Easter Eggs You May Have Missed In The Sonic 2 Movie Poster

Video games don't have the best track record when it comes to film adaptations. There are a few rare exceptions, but most adaptations end up falling tragically short of greatness. "Sonic the Hedgehog" is one of those rare video game films that ended up somewhere in between, with a Rotten Tomatoes score of only 63% from critics, counterbalanced by a whopping 93% score from audience members. Some have criticized its nonsensical story, while others have praised it for the performances of its blockbuster cast, its light-hearted nature, and its mile-a-minute thrills. It had kind of a slow start in the box office — only recouping $58 million of its $85 million budget at opening — but the film ultimately proved to be a financial success, grossing nearly $320 million to date.

Now, "Sonic the Hedgehog 2" is on its way and fans are already pleased with the reveals from its first trailer. A poster for the new movie was just released as well, and some eagle-eyed fans have already noticed that it features a few secrets hidden in plain sight. What secrets has Paramount Pictures hidden in the poster for everyone's favorite chilli dog-eating speedster's second chapter? Here's what we found.

Looking at the poster, fans of the "Sonic" video games are likely to find the overall layout to be familiar. Sonic and Tails are seen standing side by side in the foreground, situated in front of a large red "2," which is trimmed in gold and wrapped in a checkered pattern. Dr. Robotnik looms in the background, gripping the two and bearing down over the heroes. If viewers feel like they've seen that before, it's probably because it's a near-perfect replica of the cover art from the original "Sonic the Hedgehog 2" video game for the Sega Genesis.

Of course, there are several small differences. The giant stone "2" was cracking under Robotnik's grip in the original, while Sonic and Tails had slightly different poses. Even so, it's clear that Paramount Pictures took inspiration from the iconic cover and wanted to pay homage to the movie's beloved source material.

However, the poster has also added a few things that may interest longtime fans of the franchise.

Knuckles the Echidna is probably the most popular character in the franchise after Sonic and Tails. He was first introduced in "Sonic the Hedgehog 3" as a rival to the Blue Blur, but later became one of Sonic's most dedicated allies. Fans were disappointed when Knuckles wasn't in the first "Sonic" movie, but the creators wanted to focus on telling a more succinct origins story and focus on the dynamic between Sonic and Dr. Robotnik. Well, ol' knucklehead is finally making his cinematic debut in the new film, where he will be pit against Sonic in a battle of speed vs. brawn.

The movie poster sneaks Knuckles into the frame in a fun way. It's easy to miss, but if fans look closely at the giant "2," they'll see the semi-transparent reflection of Knuckles' angry eyes and scrunched-up nose tucked between Sonic's head and Dr. Robotnik's hand. His reflection hovers behind Sonic like an angry specter. The placement between these two opposing forces might also represent the character's own inner turmoil and the moral struggle he faces, since he was famously manipulated by Dr. Robotnik in the games — or this could have just been the easiest place to fit him into the scene.

Fans who played the original "Sonic the Hedgehog" might remember that one of the hardest levels in the game was set in a partially drowned temple called the Labyrinth Zone. Not only did Sonic have to avoid the normal abundance of spikes, traps, and deadly robots, but much of the temple was underwater and the water levels would rise and fall. This made it so that Sonic would have to hold his breath as he navigated the maze and could drown if the player failed to find air bubbles in time. It also made the speedy hedgehog much slower, which would interfere with the sense of timing players had built up over the course of the game.

Viewers who look closely at the poster will notice a temple surrounded by waterfalls in the background. There appear to be several smaller streams of water coming out of the temple itself, suggesting that it is flooded. Some fans already think that the Labyrinth Zone may have been glimpsed in the trailer. If true, this mysterious temple on the poster may be our first look at the outside of the iconic level.