Given its wobbly beginnings, it’s wild to see how far Paramount’s “Sonic The Hedgehog” franchise has come. Based on the popular SEGA video game from the ’90s, the series seemed dead on arrival— or even before arrival. When the film’s first trailer arrived in the spring of 2019, the reaction on social media was so dire and scathing that the movie’s creators returned to the drawing board and redesigned the entire character from whole cloth. Cut to five years later, and ‘Sonic’ is on its third film, wildly popular, overperforming at the box-office and just upped the wow factor with the casting of Keanu Reeves for “Sonic 3.”
Following internet rumors today that actually panned out, THR is reporting that Reeves is joining the popular video game franchise adaptation, voicing the characters of Shadow for “Sonic The Hedgehog 3.”
Shadow the Hedgehog is one of the anthropomorphic red-striped black hedgehogs resulting from a secret government program called Project Shadow. The character was teased at the end of “Sonic The Hedgehog 2.”
Directed once again by Jeff Fowler, “Sonic The Hedgehog 3” is set for a December 20, 2024 release by Paramount Pictures. The film will once again star James Marsden, Ben Schwartz (who voices Sonic), Tika Sumpter, Colleen O’Shaughnessey, Lee Majdoub, Idris Elba, and Jim Carrey, who reprise their roles from previous installments.
Lee Majdoub and Tom Butler will also return to their supporting roles. Additionally, Krysten Ritter, Sofia Pernas, Cristo Fernández, James Wolk, and Jorma Taccone have been cast in undisclosed roles.
Collectively, the two ‘Sonic’ films have grossed $707 million worldwide. If that seems low, given the numbers on some mega-franchises, ‘Sonic’ films have been relatively inexpensive to produce, with budgets of both films reportedly being in the $90 million range. Financially, the franchise has undoubtedly exceeded modest expectations.
‘Sonic’ has been so popular for Paramount, a spin-off series, “Knuckles” starring the anthropomorphic character that Idris Elba voices, and franchise supporting actor Adam Palley (the police character Wade Wipples), was quickly put into production and debuts April 26 on Parmount+.
“Sonic 3” was recently teased at CinemaCon, including the revelation that Jim Carrey’s Dr. Robotnik was depressed and out of shape following the events of ‘Sonic 2.’ In the game, Shadow is akin to an anti-Sonic, darker, edgier, and features similar speed-racing powers. Other popular Sonic characters expected but not confirmed for ‘Sonic 3’ include Amy Rose, Rouge the Bat, Cream the Rabbit, Sally Acorn, and the Chaotix.
Reeves will be seen next in “John Wick Presents: Ballerina,” a spin-off starring Ana De Armas.