Sonic the Hedgehog 3 | |
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Directed by | Jeff Fowler |
Based on | Sonic the Hedgehog by Sega [lower-alpha 1] |
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Starring | |
Music by | Tom Holkenborg |
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Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
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Countries |
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Language | English |
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is an upcoming action-adventure comedy film based on the video game series published by Sega. The sequel to Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022), it is directed by Jeff Fowler. James Marsden, Ben Schwartz, Tika Sumpter, Colleen O'Shaughnessey, Lee Majdoub, Idris Elba and Jim Carrey reprise their roles from previous installments, with Keanu Reeves joining the cast.
Plans for a third Sonic the Hedgehog film were announced in February 2022 during ViacomCBS's investor event before the release of the second film. Due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, filming for animated characters began in July 2023 in Surrey, England, while filming with physical actors began in November of that year in London, with production concluding by March 2024. The film will draw heavy inspiration from the video game Sonic Adventure 2 (2001).
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is scheduled to be theatrically released by Paramount Pictures in the United States on December 20, 2024.
Additionally, Krysten Ritter, Sofia Pernas, Cristo Fernández, James Wolk, and Jorma Taccone were cast in undisclosed roles. [3]
In February 2022, Sega Sammy Group and Paramount Pictures had been in development of a third Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) film after Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022). The film was formally announced during ViacomCBS's investor event. [6] Jeff Fowler returned as director, and Neal H. Moritz, Toby Ascher, Toru Nakahara, and Hitoshi Okuno returned as producers. [7] In addition, a spin-off television series for Paramount+, Knuckles , was developed simultaneously with the film. [6] The film will draw heavy inspiration from the video game Sonic Adventure 2 (2001). [8]
"If the angels bring some sort of script that’s written in gold ink that says to me that it’s going to be really important for people to see, I might continue down the road, but I’m taking a break."
–Jim Carrey on what would influence him to come out of retirement for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 [9]
On March 6, 2020, James Marsden confirmed that he had signed on for multiple sequels. [10] In April 2022, Jim Carrey–who portrays Dr. Robotnik in the films–announced that he was considering retiring from acting. [11] With his possible retirement, Moritz and Ascher confirmed that his role as Robotnik would not be recast in any sequels if he followed through with his retirement plans. However, they remained hopeful that they could develop scripts good enough for him to continue the role. [12]
In February 2024, it was officially confirmed that Carrey would be reprising his role for the film, [7] along with Marsden, Ben Schwartz, Tika Sumpter, Colleen O'Shaughnessey, Idris Elba, Lee Majdoub, and Tom Butler. [3] Krysten Ritter, Alyla Browne, James Wolk, Sofia Pernas, Cristo Fernández, and Jorma Taccone were cast in undisclosed roles; [3] Taccone was previously hired as an episode director for the Knuckles series. [13] On February 16, Browne's role was revealed as Maria. [5] Schwartz began recording for the film by the week after. [14] On April 15, 2024, it was reported that Keanu Reeves would be voicing Shadow the Hedgehog. [4]
Second-unit filming began in late July 2023 for animated characters only without physical actors (due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike) in Farnham, Surrey, England. [16] Principal photography was originally scheduled to begin on August 31, 2023, in London, England, [17] [18] but was delayed to September of that year. [19] Production with physical actors started on November 29, 2023, announced with a teaser image of Shadow the Hedgehog's stand-in statue used in filming. [20] Marsden said that filming had been completed by March 14, 2024, [21] while Fowler officially revealed that the film had wrapped production on March 29. [22]
As a cost-cutting measure, the producers had an in-house animation team at Paramount work on both Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and the Knuckles series. [23]
In December 2023, Crush 40 vocalist Johnny Gioeli said there had been talks of including the song "Live & Learn" from Sonic Adventure 2 (2001) in the film. [24] In January 2024, Tom Holkenborg, who also composed for the first two films, was announced to be returning for the film. [25] The following month, Gioeli confirmed "Live & Learn" would be included in the film. [26]
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 will be released theatrically in the United States by Paramount Pictures on December 20, 2024. [27]
Sonic the Hedgehog is a character created by the Japanese game developers Yuji Naka and Naoto Ohshima. He is the star of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise and the mascot of the Japanese video game company Sega. Sonic is an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog who can run at supersonic speeds. He races through levels, collecting rings and avoiding obstacles, as he seeks to defeat his archenemy, Doctor Eggman. He is accompanied by supporting characters, such as his sidekick Miles "Tails" Prower, self-proclaimed girlfriend Amy Rose, and friendly rival Knuckles the Echidna.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is a 1994 platform game developed and published by Sega for the Genesis. Like previous Sonic games, players traverse side-scrolling levels while collecting rings and defeating enemies. They control Sonic and Tails, who attempt to retrieve the Chaos Emeralds to stop Doctor Robotnik from relaunching his space station, the Death Egg, after it crash-lands on a mysterious floating island. Sonic 3 introduces Knuckles the Echidna, the island guardian, who lays traps for Sonic and Tails.
Knuckles the Echidna is a character from Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog series. He is a red anthropomorphic short-beaked echidna who is Sonic's secondary best friend and former rival. Determined and serious, but sometimes gullible, he fights his enemies using brute force and strength. His role is established as the guardian of the Master Emerald, a large gemstone which controls the series' integral Chaos Emeralds, and is the last living member of his tribe, the Knuckles clan.
Miles Prower, better known by his nickname Tails, is a character from Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog series. Tails also appears in several spin-off games in which he stars, comic books, cartoons, and films. He is the first character to consistently appear by Sonic's side in the series as his best friend, appearing in nearly every mainline and spin-off since his debut. The name "Miles Prower" is a pun on "miles per hour", a reference to the famed speed of Sonic the Hedgehog. Prower is a two-tailed anthropomorphic fox, hence the nickname.
Shadow the Hedgehog is a character who appears in Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. He was created by Takashi Iizuka and Shiro Maekawa and first appeared in Sonic Adventure 2 (2001). Within Sonic's fictional universe, Shadow is an anthropomorphic black hedgehog created by Professor Gerald Robotnik, the grandfather of the series' antagonist Doctor Eggman. After witnessing the death of his best friend Maria Robotnik, Shadow initially seeks revenge, but later vows to keep his promise to her that he would protect the world from danger. An antihero, Shadow has good intentions but will do whatever it takes to accomplish his goals, putting him at odds with Sonic the Hedgehog.
Sonic & Knuckles is a 1994 platform game developed and published by Sega. Players control Sonic the Hedgehog or Knuckles the Echidna in their quests to save Angel Island; Sonic tries to stop Doctor Robotnik from re-launching his orbital weapon, the Death Egg, while Knuckles scuffles with Robotnik's minion, EggRobo. Like previous Sonic games, players traverse side-scrolling levels at high speeds while collecting rings and defeating enemies.
Knuckles' Chaotix is a 1995 platform game developed by Sega for the 32X. A spin-off from the Sonic the Hedgehog series, it features Knuckles the Echidna and four other characters known as the Chaotix, who must prevent Doctor Robotnik and Metal Sonic from obtaining six magic rings and conquering a mysterious island. Gameplay is similar to previous Sonic games: players complete levels while collecting rings and defeating enemies. Knuckles' Chaotix introduces a partner system whereby the player is connected to another character via a tether; the tether behaves like a rubber band and must be used to maneuver the characters.
Sonic the Hedgehog or Sonic the Hedgehog the Movie, is a two-part 1996 Japanese original video animation (OVA) based on the video game franchise by Sega. Produced by Pierrot and directed by Kazutaka Ikegami, the OVA was originally released in Japan on January 26, 1996 and March 22, 1996. The series was later licensed and dubbed in English by ADV Films, which released it as a single direct-to-video film on September 7, 1999, to coincide with the international release of Sonic Adventure. The anime features Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Dr. Eggman, Metal Sonic and a few supporting characters created exclusively for the OVA. Taking the English dub into consideration, it is also the first Sonic animated media to not feature Jaleel White voicing the titular character.
Shadow the Hedgehog is a 2005 platform game developed by Sega Studios USA and published by Sega as part of the Sonic the Hedgehog series. The game follows its amnesiac titular character as he attempts to learn about his past, while an alien invasion plagues Earth. Shadow the Hedgehog reintroduces third-person shooter elements from Sonic Adventure and Sonic Adventure 2, but greatly expands upon the concept and introduces nonlinear gameplay to the Sonic franchise. To defeat enemies and progress through the game, Shadow can use a variety of weapons from each faction and complete missions that will determine the game's plot and subsequently playable levels.
Euphemia LatiQue"Tika" Sumpter is an American actress and producer. Sumpter began her career as the host of Best Friend's Date. From 2005 to 2010, she appeared in the daytime soap opera One Life to Live. In 2010, she made her film debut in Stomp the Yard: Homecoming and later featured in supporting roles for What's Your Number? (2011), Sparkle (2012), and A Madea Christmas (2013).
Sonic the Hedgehog is a video game series and media franchise created by the Japanese developers Yuji Naka, Naoto Ohshima, and Hirokazu Yasuhara for Sega. The franchise follows Sonic, an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog who battles the evil Doctor Eggman, a mad scientist. The main Sonic the Hedgehog games are platformers mostly developed by Sonic Team; other games, developed by various studios, include spin-offs in the racing, fighting, party and sports genres. The franchise also incorporates printed media, animations, feature films, and merchandise.
Doctor Ivo"Eggman"Robotnik is the main antagonist of Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. Eggman was created and designed by Naoto Ohshima as part of many design choices for Sega's new mascot. After the creation of Sonic the Hedgehog, Ohshima chose to use his previous egg-shaped character to create the antagonist of the 1991 video game Sonic the Hedgehog, making him the arch-nemesis of the series' eponymous main character.
Sonic the Hedgehog is a 2020 action-adventure comedy film based on the video game series of the same name published by Sega. The film was directed by Jeff Fowler and written by Pat Casey and Josh Miller. It stars Ben Schwartz, James Marsden, and Jim Carrey. The plot follows Sonic, a blue anthropomorphic hedgehog who can run at supersonic speeds, who teams up with a town sheriff to stop mad scientist Dr. Robotnik.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is a 2022 action-adventure comedy film based on the video game series published by Sega and the sequel to Sonic the Hedgehog (2020). It was directed by Jeff Fowler and written by Pat Casey, Josh Miller and John Whittington. Ben Schwartz, James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, Natasha Rothwell, Adam Pally, Lee Majdoub, Colleen O'Shaughnessey and Jim Carrey reprised their roles, with Idris Elba and Shemar Moore joining the cast. In the film, Sonic and Tails must find the Master Emerald before the villainous Dr. Robotnik and his partner Knuckles the Echidna.
Lee Majdoub is a Lebanese-Canadian actor. He is known for his role as Agent Stone in Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) and its sequel Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022). Majdoub played Ash Ketchum in the fan-made short film Pokémon Apokélypse (2010), and has appeared in the television programs, The 100, and Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency. In 2023, he portrayed Basim Ibn Ishaq, the protagonist of the video game Assassin's Creed Mirage by Ubisoft.
Knuckles is an American television miniseries created by John Whittington and Toby Ascher for the streaming service Paramount+, based on the Sonic the Hedgehog video game series published by Sega. It is a spin-off of the Sonic the Hedgehog film series and the first live-action Sonic television series. The series takes place between the events of the films Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022) and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024), and follows Knuckles the Echidna as he trains deputy sheriff Wade Whipple in the ways of the Echidna warrior. Whittington was head writer, with Ascher as showrunner.