Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is a 2024 action-adventure comedy movie based on the Sonic video game series. It is the third film in the Sonic movie series. Jeff Fowler directed the movie, and Pat Casey, Josh Miller, and John Whittington wrote it. Jim Carrey, Ben Schwartz, Natasha Rothwell, Shemar Moore, James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, and Idris Elba play the same characters again. Krysten Ritter and Keanu Reeves join the cast. In the movie, Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles fight Shadow the Hedgehog, who teams up with the scientists Ivo and Gerald Robotnik to seek revenge against humans.

The movie was announced in February 2022 during a meeting by ViacomCBS before the release of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022). Jeff Fowler, the producers, and writers from that movie returned for this one. The story includes parts from the video games Sonic Adventure 2 (2001) and Shadow the Hedgehog (2005). It is darker than earlier movies but still considers what fans like and keeps a family-friendly tone. Jim Carrey returned because he enjoys playing Ivo and for the money. Keanu Reeves joined as Shadow because he has a natural dark presence and because of his acting in the John Wick films. Alyla Browne was cast because of her performances in films by George Miller.

Because of the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, filming for animated characters started in September 2023. Filming with actors began in November 2023 in London and ended by March 2024. Brandon Trost returned to film the movie. The animation was made inside the studio and with help from five other companies. This was possible because the studio owns the characters. Tom Holkenborg returned to create the movie’s music, which includes the Crush 40 song “Live & Learn” from Sonic Adventure 2. Singer Jelly Roll released the original song “Run It” for the soundtrack.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 premiered at the Empire Leicester Square in London on December 10, 2024. It was released in the United States by Paramount Pictures on December 20, 2024. Critics gave the movie mostly positive reviews, especially praising Jim Carrey and Keanu Reeves’ performances. The movie was a big success at the box office, making $492 million with a budget of $122 million. It became the most successful movie in the Sonic franchise, the second-highest-grossing video game movie at the time, and the tenth-highest-grossing movie of the year. Jim Carrey won Favorite Villain at the 2025 Kids’ Choice Awards. The next movie, Sonic the Hedgehog 4, is planned for 2027.

Plot

In 1974, a meteorite containing the alien hedgehog Shadow crashes in Oklahoma and is taken by the U.S. military. Shadow's abilities are studied by Professor Gerald Robotnik at a Guardian Units of Nations (G.U.N.) research facility, supervised by Captain Walters. Shadow forms a close bond with Maria, Gerald's granddaughter. One night, Gerald, Maria, and Shadow attempt to escape the facility to stop Shadow from being captured. Maria is accidentally killed in an explosion. Walters closes the facility, imprisons Gerald, and puts Shadow into a deep sleep.

In 2024, an unknown person hacks into a G.U.N. prison facility near Japan and frees Shadow, who seeks revenge. Sonic celebrates the anniversary of his arrival on Earth with Tails, Knuckles, and their adoptive parents, Tom and Maddie Wachowski, in Green Hills, Montana. G.U.N. Director Rockwell recruits Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles (called "Team Sonic") to capture Shadow in Tokyo. Shadow overpowers the team and escapes. Team Sonic meets Commander Walters, who explains Shadow's past. Dr. Ivo Robotnik's drones attack and seriously injure Walters, who gives Sonic a keycard before dying. Team Sonic decides to find Shadow without G.U.N.'s help after Rockwell discovers the missing keycard and turns against them.

Team Sonic meets Ivo's assistant, Agent Stone, who denies involvement in the attack. They form a temporary alliance with Ivo and track the stolen drones to the abandoned G.U.N. facility. Shadow captures Stone and Team Sonic. Ivo meets Gerald, his long-lost grandfather, who reveals he planned Shadow's escape and the drone theft. Gerald explains the keycard is one of two needed to activate the Eclipse Cannon, a space weapon designed to destroy any location on Earth. Gerald plans to use it to destroy G.U.N.'s headquarters in London, and Ivo agrees to join him. Shadow takes the keycard from Tails and uses it to create a black hole, destroying the base as he, the Robotniks, and Stone leave.

Team Sonic escapes using a ring portal and recruits Tom and Maddie to steal the second keycard from G.U.N.'s headquarters, facing the Robotniks and Rockwell. Tom successfully gets the keycard by pretending to be Walters, but Shadow, believing Tom's disguise, seriously injures him and takes the key. The Robotniks launch the Eclipse Cannon. Enraged, Sonic abandons Tails and Knuckles, steals the Master Emerald, and gains superpowers using the seven Chaos Emeralds inside it. Sonic fights Shadow, who also gains superpowers by absorbing the Chaos Emeralds' energy. Sonic defeats Shadow but spares him after learning Shadow is consumed by revenge. Sonic shares a story about losing his guardian, Longclaw, and reminds Shadow that love for lost loved ones is more important than revenge. Shadow agrees to stop the cannon.

On the Eclipse Cannon, Gerald tells Ivo his plan to destroy Earth and themselves to avenge Maria's death. Ivo tries to stop the weapon but is killed when Gerald destroys the control panel. Tails and Knuckles arrive, and they knock Gerald into the reactor core, killing him. Sonic and Shadow block the cannon's beam as Ivo, Tails, and Knuckles steer it away from Earth, accidentally damaging part of the Moon. Sonic loses his superpowers and consciousness while blocking the beam and falls back to Earth. Tails and Knuckles save Sonic using a ring portal to Green Hills. When the cannon's core overheats, Ivo makes a final statement honoring Stone as his only friend before he and Shadow sacrifice themselves to move the cannon away from Earth before it explodes. Sonic reconciles with Tails and Knuckles while Tom recovers from his injuries.

During a race with Tails and Knuckles, Sonic accidentally ends up near New York, where he is attacked by Metal Sonic robots and saved by Amy Rose. Meanwhile, Shadow survives the cannon's destruction.

Cast

• Ben Schwartz plays Sonic the Hedgehog, a human-like hedgehog who can move extremely fast and leads a team called Team Sonic.
• Keanu Reeves plays Shadow the Hedgehog, a human-like hedgehog who was part of a secret government project called Project Shadow. Shadow has experienced great sadness and wants revenge. A director said Reeves studied the character carefully and wanted to create a version that matches what fans expect.
• Colleen O'Shaughnessey plays Miles "Tails" Prower, a smart human-like yellow fox with twin tails that help him fly. He builds tools that can change appearances and disable security systems.
• Idris Elba plays Knuckles the Echidna, a hot-headed, human-like red echidna warrior with great strength. He can make his fists catch fire using a power called the Flames of Disaster.

• Jim Carrey plays two roles: Dr. Ivo Robotnik, a mad scientist and Sonic’s main enemy, often called "Eggman," and Prof. Gerald Robotnik, Ivo and Maria’s grandfather and the leader of Project Shadow. Carrey said Gerald and Ivo are different because Gerald is from an older, tougher generation, like "the rock he crawled out from under."
• James Marsden plays Tom Wachowski, the adoptive father of Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles, and the sheriff of Green Hills, Montana.
• Tika Sumpter plays Maddie Wachowski, Tom’s wife, the adoptive mother of Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles, and the veterinarian of Green Hills.
• Lee Majdoub plays Agent Stone, Ivo’s assistant.
• Krysten Ritter plays Director Rockwell, a high-ranking officer in the military group G.U.N.
• Natasha Rothwell plays Rachel, Maddie’s sister, who dresses up as Rachel to sneak into G.U.N. headquarters.
• Shemar Moore plays Randall Handel, a G.U.N. agent and Rachel’s husband, who Tom disguises as to infiltrate G.U.N. headquarters.
• Adam Pally plays Wade Whipple, the deputy sheriff of Green Hills who protects the Master Emerald for Knuckles.
• Alyla Browne plays Maria Robotnik, Gerald’s granddaughter and Ivo’s cousin, who becomes a close friend to Shadow during his time in Gerald’s lab.
• Tom Butler plays Commander Walters, the former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and leader of G.U.N. James Wolk plays a younger version of Captain Walters in the past, in 1974.
• Jorma Taccone plays Kyle Lancebottom, a G.U.N. agent on Prison Island who watches over Shadow. Taccone previously directed the Knuckles episode "The Flames of Disaster."

• Cristo Fernández plays two brothers, Pablo and Juan, in the fictional soap opera La Última Pasión, alongside Sofia Pernas, who plays Gabriella, a character caught in a love triangle with the brothers.

Production

In March 2020, James Marsden confirmed he would appear in several future movies based on Sonic the Hedgehog (2020). In February 2022, Sega Sammy Group and Paramount Pictures began planning a third film after Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022). The project was officially announced during a meeting for ViacomCBS investors. The film was produced by Original Film, Marza Animation Planet, and Blur Studio, with Sega Sammy Group as a partner. Jeff Fowler returned as director, and Neal H. Moritz, Toby Ascher, Toru Nakahara, and Hitoshi Okuno returned as producers. Haruki Satomi, Shuji Utsumi, Yukio Sugino, Fowler, Tommy Gormley, and Tim Miller were executive producers. The movie cost $122 million to make. Pat Casey, Josh Miller, and John Whittington returned to write the screenplay, with Casey and Miller also credited for the story. Paul Greenberg and Oren Uziel received credit for additional literary material. A spin-off TV series for Paramount+, Knuckles, was developed at the same time as the film.

In April 2022, Jim Carrey, who plays Dr. Ivo Robotnik in the movies, said he was thinking about retiring from acting. If he retired, Moritz and Ascher said his role as Robotnik would not be filled by another actor in future films. However, they hoped to write scripts that might convince him to continue. Carrey said he would only return if there was a script so important it was written in gold ink. In February 2024, Carrey confirmed he would return as Robotnik. He explained he came back because he enjoys playing a genius and needed the money. Fowler printed Carrey’s comment about a gold script in 24-carat ink, which he estimated would be worth about $100,000.

On April 15, 2024, it was reported that Keanu Reeves joined the cast as the voice of Shadow. Reeves had previously been a popular choice among fans for the role. Fowler said there was a clear connection between Reeves’s work in the John Wick movies and the tone they wanted for Shadow, calling the films a "perfect, albeit unconventional, audition" for the character. Fowler said even without John Wick, Reeves’s history with dark roles would have led to his casting. Miller noted that fans had long expected Reeves to play Shadow, and that Reeves was the voice they imagined for the character during writing. This process was different from casting Idris Elba as Knuckles, who was not a popular choice for the role.

Marsden, Ben Schwartz, Tika Sumpter, Colleen O'Shaughnessey, Idris Elba, Lee Majdoub, and Tom Butler returned for their roles. Krysten Ritter, Alyla Browne, James Wolk, Sofia Pernas, Cristo Fernández, and Jorma Taccone were cast in February 2024 for undisclosed roles. Taccone had previously worked as a director on the Knuckles series. On February 16, it was revealed that Alyla Browne plays Maria. Browne had previously appeared in Three Thousand Years of Longing (2022) and Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024). Fowler said the team "inherited" her casting. Ritter plays Director Rockwell, Wolk plays a young Captain Walters, and Taccone plays Kyle Lancebottom, a G.U.N. agent on Prison Island who watches over Shadow. Sofia Pernas and Cristo Fernández play Gabriella and the twin brothers Juan and Pablo in La Última Pasión, a telenovela Ivo and Shadow watch.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is inspired by the video games Sonic Adventure 2 (2001) and Shadow the Hedgehog (2005). Miller said adapting Sonic Adventure 2 required deciding how dark the story could be while keeping it suitable for all ages. Casey said a challenge was connecting Shadow’s backstory with Sonic’s story, which they achieved by exploring themes of family. Casey viewed Sonic and Shadow as mirrors and thought about events that could "drive Sonic over the edge" like Shadow. Elements from Sonic Adventure 2, such as the Chao creatures, appear in the film. The Chao are part of a restaurant in Tokyo, where Team Sonic and Shadow first face off. Fowler said using the Chao in a popular attraction made the story believable and helped advance the plot. In the post-credits scene, Amy Rose is introduced. Casey and Miller said their script originally planned a story for a fourth film but changed it to a tease instead.

Miller said one challenge was balancing the darkness of the story with the need to keep the film family-friendly. Another was adapting the story to fit the timeline of the film series. Casey said the idea of Gerald, Maria, and Shadow living on the ARK space station from the games did not work with the 1970s setting, and Maria’s terminal illness was removed. To write Carrey’s dual roles as Gerald and Ivo, Fowler focused on their character parallels and created conflict for the film. Miller said the movie was central to Ivo’s character transformation, which was more significant than Sonic’s. Casey said Carrey embraced the idea that Gerald’s "toxicity" affected Ivo, who "regresses into a little kid." Miller described their writing as a "framework" for Carrey to add humor and ideas.

Casey and Miller considered including a line from The Matrix referencing Keanu Reeves’s characters but decided against it. Instead, the film referenced Reeves’s Speed (1994) and mimicked the fight choreography from The Matrix. Fowler said Shadow’s character did not make the world "edgy" but added excitement and danger. He acknowledged the use of firearms and Shadow’s motorcycle from the Shadow the Hedgehog (2005) game and said the team was respectful of fan expectations, carefully incorporating those elements into a family-friendly film.

Music

Tom Holkenborg, who created the music for the first two Sonic movies, came back to make the music for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and completed his work by July 2024. In December 2023, Johnny Gioeli, the singer for the band Crush 40, said there were discussions about including "Live & Learn," the theme song from Sonic Adventure 2, in Sonic the Hedgehog 3. In February 2024, Gioeli confirmed that "Live & Learn" would be part of the movie. The song first appears in the opening scene of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 as a short musical piece played by Maria Robotnik on her guitar. From that point, it becomes a recurring musical theme for Shadow. A version of the song with vocals, remixed by the film's composer, is heard during Sonic and Shadow's fight and when they transform into Super Sonic and Super Shadow to stop the Eclipse Cannon from destroying Earth. Fowler said he loved the "awesome" song so much that including it in the film was unavoidable. He joked that fans might have been upset if he had not used it, which he did "strongly." Singer Jelly Roll released a song called "Run It" for the film on November 21, 2024. The movie also includes "Neon," a song by the Japanese rock band One Ok Rock, which previously contributed music to the 2022 game Sonic Frontiers. The movie's soundtrack album was released by Milan Records on December 20, 2024.

Release

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 had its first showing at the Empire Leicester Square in London on December 10, 2024, and at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles, California, on December 16. It was released in the United States by Paramount Pictures on December 20, replacing the original release date of Smurfs (2025). The film was shown in 4DX and other special theater formats, but it did not have an IMAX release. Paramount held a fan event on December 19 for early screenings in special theater formats.

In April 2024, at CinemaCon, Paramount shared a first look at the film. This included a scene where a heavier Robotnik expresses sadness before Agent Stone tells him, "they found him," and a scene where Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles fight a silent Shadow. In July, a popcorn bucket and action figures made by Jakks Pacific were shared online without permission. On August 25, the first official preview of Keanu Reeves’s role as Shadow was posted on the film’s TikTok account. This post mentioned Reeves’s appearance in the first film and used the caption "foreSHADOWing." Starting then, images of the film’s characters were displayed on buildings worldwide to promote the first trailer, which was released on August 27 with a teaser poster. Some critics said Reeves’s role was the most important part of the trailer. IGN noted that "Keanu Reeves is very much in Keanu Reeves mode here," and Vulture compared his portrayal of Shadow to John Wick. Ash Parrish of The Verge said Reeves’s voice was acceptable and mentioned Maria’s reveal, which showed how the film would handle her story.

During the opening weekend of Paramount’s Transformers One, posters of Shadow were given away to the first 300 attendees at select theaters, with Reeves signing a limited number of them. For Halloween, a 10-second clip of Shadow saying "boo" was shared online. On November 4, a promotional image of Shadow was released by Fandango. On November 18, a new poster was released, showing the main team, the Robotniks, and Shadow, who appears at the top and rides his Dark Rider motorcycle at the bottom. Some press outlets received a Sega Genesis cartridge with promotional posters, character voice lines, and a minigame. Players could unlock the release date of the film’s second trailer by entering a cheat code from the 1994 game Sonic the Hedgehog 3: ↑ ↑ ↓ ↓ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑. The second trailer was released on November 25. Commentary focused on Shadow using a gun in one scene, referencing the 2005 Shadow the Hedgehog game and Sega’s later rejection of that game. Some people joked about Tails being mistaken for the Pokémon character Pikachu. The phrases "HE HAS A GUN" and "HE PISSED ON THE MOON" became popular online after the trailer’s release. The latter phrase was a reference to the web series SnapCube’s Real-Time Fandub.

By October, Jakks Pacific’s toy merchandise was released. Reebok made a line of sneakers to promote the film, and McDonald’s sold Happy Meal toys featuring the film’s characters. AMC Theaters created a novelty popcorn bucket shaped like Sonic’s head and a collectible combo with a cup, drink topper, and mask. On December 11, 2024, Paramount released posters that parodied Christmas films. A design of "Ugly Sonic" from the first film, which was criticized, was used as a sweater design given away as a prize. A stop-motion short, "A Very Sonic Christmas," was released on December 11, 2024, with Schwartz, Elba, O'Shaughnessey, and Reeves reprising their roles. Adam Pally, who plays Wade Whipple, voiced Santa Claus. A related video game, Shadow Generations, was released in October 2024. Takashi Iizuka, head of Sonic Team, said he wanted to "spotlight Shadow as a character." Downloadable content based on the film was released on December 12, including an additional level set in Tokyo. During this level, Shadow’s appearance changes to match his movie version, with Reeves revoicing him. Reeves and Fowler gave an interview on CBS Mornings to promote the film.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 was available for digital download on January 21, 2025, and released on Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, and DVD on April 15. Special 4K SteelBook editions include one with Sonic on the cover and another with Shadow on a red lightning bolt background, exclusive to Amazon. Special features include audio commentary with Fowler and Schwartz, a segment with Reeves and the cast about Shadow, a recording booth segment with Schwartz, Elba, and O'Shaughnessy, and the "A Very Sonic Christmas" special. The film began streaming on Paramount+ in the United States and Canada on February 18, 2025. When the film was released digitally in the UK, it reached the top of the Official Charts Company’s Official Film Chart.

Reception

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 earned $236.1 million in the United States and Canada and $256 million in other countries, totaling $492.2 million worldwide. It became the tenth highest-grossing film in the US and Canada in 2024 and the tenth highest-grossing film globally in the same year. Deadline Hollywood reported the film’s net profit as $123.6 million. After considering production costs, marketing, and other expenses compared to the money made from ticket sales, merchandise, television, streaming, and home media sales, the site ranked Sonic 3 as the tenth most valuable blockbuster of 2024.

In the US and Canada, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 was released alongside Mufasa: The Lion King and was expected to earn $55–60 million from 3,800 theaters. The film made $6.5 million from Thursday night previews, a record for the Sonic franchise. On Friday, it earned $25.7 million, slightly less than Sonic the Hedgehog 2’s $26.3 million. The film grossed $60.1 million during its three-day opening weekend, becoming the top box office film and achieving the second-highest weekend debut for a PG-rated film in December, behind 2005’s The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe ($65.6 million). In its second weekend, it earned $37 million, remaining the top film. At this point, the film’s $136 million total in the US and Canada brought Reeves’s lifetime box office earnings in that region over the $3 billion mark.

The film finished second behind Mufasa: The Lion King in its third weekend with $21.4 million and third behind Mufasa and Den of Thieves 2: Pantera in its fourth weekend with $11.3 million. By its fifth weekend, it surpassed its predecessor’s total with $420 million, becoming the highest-grossing film in the franchise. In its sixth weekend, it earned $10.6 million. In its seventh weekend, it reached a worldwide total of $462.5 million, making it the second-highest-grossing video game film of all time, ahead of Pokémon Detective Pikachu (2019) and behind The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023). This record was later surpassed by A Minecraft Movie in April 2025. By March 4, the film earned $485.7 million, surpassing Bruce Almighty (2003) as Carrey’s highest-grossing film.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 received mostly positive reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, 86% of 152 critics gave it positive reviews, with an average score of 6.70/10. The site’s summary stated, “With Jim Carrey’s energetic performances and a fast-paced story, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is the best film in the series so far.” As of January 2025, it is tied with Werewolves Within (2021) for being the highest-rated film based on a video game on the site. Metacritic gave it a score of 56 out of 100, based on 28 critics, indicating mixed or average reviews. Audiences gave it an average grade of “A” on a scale from A+ to F, matching the grades of the previous two films. PostTrak surveys showed 89% of audiences gave it a positive rating.

Reeves’s and Carrey’s performances were praised. Variety’s Owen Gleiberman said Reeves made Shadow empathetic and noted Carrey’s strong portrayal of the Robotniks. Screen Rant’s Rachel Labonte called Reeves’s Shadow the standout performance, saying he conveyed emotion well. ComicBook.com’s Marc Deschamps said Reeves portrayed Shadow effectively, blending humor with depth. He also noted that the relationship between Gerald and Ivo helped explain other characters, and the film had a strong ending for Robotnik. The New York Times’ Glenn Kenny said Reeves brought serious depth to Shadow and praised Carrey’s energetic performances. IGN’s Matt Donato said Reeves’s personal experiences mirrored Shadow’s story, concluding that Reeves “is Shadow the Hedgehog.”

The A.V. Club’s Matt Donato said Reeves added serious depth to the cast and highlighted Carrey’s energetic performances. The Hollywood Reporter compared Reeves’s portrayal of Shadow to his role in John Wick, saying his calm delivery made him more intimidating. It praised Carrey’s humor but questioned the returning human characters. Polygon’s Jesse Hassenger said Carrey’s chaotic performances contrasted with Reeves’s sincere portrayal of Shadow. The Guardian’s Andrew Pulver was unsure about most performances but said the film would have been worse without Carrey. Deadline Hollywood’s Pete Hammond felt Carrey’s fourth-wall-breaking jokes were less impactful than Ryan Reynolds’s work in Deadpool. The Observer’s Wendy Ide said having two Jim Carrey characters was too much.

Fowler’s direction and CGI were discussed by critics. Donato said the direction made the plot clear, while Hammond thought the grandeur was excessive but noted audiences might not mind. Labonte said Fowler told Shadow’s story emotionally. Donato praised the animation, saying it looked consistent despite six studios working on it. Kenny called the CGI “bombastic.” IGN’s A. A. Dowd said the CGI was better than in previous Sonic films. IndieWire’s Christian Zilko criticized the CGI, saying characters didn’t fit scenes well and called Fowler’s work average.

Sequel

In September 2024, producer Toby Ascher said more Sonic movies might be made. Elba and Reeves have shown interest in a separate movie featuring their characters. In December 2024, a fourth Sonic movie began to be made, with a planned release date of March 19, 2027. Even though his character was believed to have died in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Carrey said in January 2025 that he would consider returning for the fourth movie if the story interested him. On February 18, 2026, it was announced that Kristen Bell joined the cast of the sequel as the voice of Amy Rose.