Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is a 2024 action-adventure comedy film based on the video game series by Sega. The third in the Sonic film series, it was directed by Jeff Fowler and written by Pat Casey, Josh Miller, and John Whittington, based on a story by Casey and Miller. Jim Carrey, Ben Schwartz, Colleen O'Shaughnessey, Natasha Rothwell, Shemar Moore, James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, and Idris Elba reprise their roles, with Krysten Ritter and Keanu Reeves joining the cast. In the film, Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles face a new enemy, Shadow the Hedgehog, who allies with the mad scientists Ivo and Gerald Robotnik in pursuit of revenge against humanity.


Sonic the Hedgehog 3 was announced in February 2022 during ViacomCBS's investor event before the release of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022). Due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, filming for animated characters began in July 2023 in Surrey, England, and filming with actors began that November in London. Production ended by March 2024. The plot draws elements from the video games Sonic Adventure 2 (2001) and Shadow the Hedgehog (2005). Reeves was cast due to the parallels between his performance in the John Wick films and Fowler's vision for Shadow.




Sonic the Hedgehog 3 premiered at the Empire Leicester Square in London on December 10, 2024, and was released by Paramount Pictures in the United States on December 20. It received positive reviews, with praise for Carrey and Reeves' performances, and has grossed $210.9 million worldwide on a budget of $122 million. A fourth film is in development.



Directed byJeff Fowler
Screenplay by
Story by
  • Pat Casey
  • Josh Miller
Based onSonic the Hedgehog
by Sega[a]
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyBrandon Trost
Edited byAl LeVine
Music byTom Holkenborg
Production
companies
Distributed byParamount Pictures
Release dates
Running time
110 minutes
Countries
  • United States
  • Japan
LanguageEnglish