Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is a 2024 action-adventure comedy film based on the Sonic video game series. It is the third in the Sonic film series, it was directed by Jeff Fowler and written by Pat Casey, Josh Miller, and John Whittington. Jim Carrey, Ben Schwartz, Lee Majdoub, Natasha Rothwell, Adam Pally, Shemar Moore, Colleen O'Shaughnessey, 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 Shadow the Hedgehog (Reeves), who allies with the mad scientists Ivo and Gerald Robotnik to pursue 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, with Fowler, the producer, and the writers returning. The plot draws elements from the video games Sonic Adventure 2 (2001) and Shadow the Hedgehog (2005), becoming darker than prior installments yet mindful of fan expectations and family appeal. Among the cast, Carrey returned for his appreciation for Ivo and the financial incentive, Reeves joined as Shadow due to his natural darkness and especially his performance in the John Wick films, and Alyla Browne was cast due to her performances in several George Miller films.

Due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, filming for animated characters began in September 2023, while filming with actors began that November in London, and production ended by March 2024. Brandon Trost returned as cinematographer. Animation for the film was produced in-house and with work split across five other external vendors, in tandem with the Knuckles series, with studio ownership of the assets making this possible. Tom Holkenborg returned to compose the original score, which incorporated the Crush 40 song "Live & Learn" from Sonic Adventure 2, and the singer Jelly Roll released the original song "Run It" to support the soundtrack.

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 generally positive reviews from critics, with praise for Carrey and Reeves's performances. The film was a box office success, grossing $492 million on a budget of $122 million, becoming the highest-grossing film in the franchise, the second highest-grossing video game film at the time of release, and the tenth-highest-grossing film of the year. Carrey won Favorite Villain at the 2025 Kids' Choice Awards. Sonic the Hedgehog 4 is scheduled for March 19, 2027.

Plot

In 1974, a meteorite containing the alien hedgehog Shadow crash-lands in Oklahoma and is seized by the U.S. military. Shadow's power is experimented on by Professor Gerald Robotnik at a Guardian Units of Nations (G.U.N.) research facility under the supervision of Captain Walters; Shadow also develops a close friendship with Maria, Gerald's granddaughter. One night, as Gerald, Maria, and Shadow try to escape the facility to prevent Shadow from being taken away, Maria is accidentally killed in an explosion. Walters shuts down the facility, imprisons Gerald, and places Shadow in suspended animation.

In 2024, an unknown individual hacks into a G.U.N. prison facility's system off the coast of Japan and releases a vengeful Shadow. 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 arrives and recruits Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles (dubbed "Team Sonic") to help apprehend Shadow in Tokyo. However, he overpowers the three and escapes. Team Sonic meets with the now-Commander Walters, who informs them about Shadow's past. Suddenly, Dr. Ivo Robotnik's drones attack and fatally wound Walters, who gives Sonic a keycard before he dies. They decide to search for Shadow without G.U.N.'s help as Rockwell discovers the missing keycard and turns against them.

Team Sonic encounters Ivo's assistant, Agent Stone, who denies involvement in the attack; they form an uneasy alliance with Ivo and track the stolen drones to the abandoned G.U.N. facility. As Shadow captures Stone and Team Sonic, Ivo meets Gerald, his long-lost grandfather and the mastermind behind Shadow's escape and the stolen drones. Gerald explains that the keycard is one of two needed to activate the Eclipse Cannon, an orbiting laser space weapon he designed for G.U.N., capable of targeting and destroying any location on Earth. He claims that he 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 activates a black hole to destroy 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, contending with the Robotniks and Rockwell. Tom successfully obtains the keycard by disguising himself as Walters, but Shadow, buying into Tom's disguise and enraged at G.U.N., gravely wounds him, taking the key, allowing the Robotniks to launch the Eclipse Cannon. Enraged, Sonic abandons Tails and Knuckles, steals the Master Emerald, and becomes superpowered using the seven Chaos Emeralds contained within. Sonic confronts Shadow, who also absorbs the Chaos Emeralds' energy to become superpowered. Sonic eventually overpowers Shadow but relents upon realizing he was being consumed by revenge. Sonic tells Shadow about the loss of his guardian Longclaw and that their love for the people they have lost is more important than revenge. Having a change of heart, Shadow agrees to stop the cannon.

Aboard the Eclipse Cannon, Gerald reveals to Ivo his intention to destroy Earth and themselves to avenge Maria's death. A horrified Ivo attempts to abort the firing sequence, preferring to rule over humanity rather than destroy it, but Gerald destroys the command console. Tails and Knuckles arrive, and the three 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 slicing off part of the Moon. Sonic loses his superpowered form and consciousness while blocking the cannon's beam with Shadow and falls back to Earth. Tails and Knuckles save Sonic using a ring portal to Green Hills. When the cannon's core begins to melt down, Ivo makes a final announcement acknowledging Stone as his only friend before he and Shadow sacrifice themselves to move it 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 outside of New York, where he is ambushed by an army of Metal Sonics and saved by Amy Rose. Elsewhere, Shadow has survived the cannon's destruction.

Cast

Voice Ben Schwartz as Sonic the Hedgehog, an anthropomorphic hedgehog who has supersonic speeds, and is the leader of Team Sonic Keanu Reeves as Shadow the Hedgehog, an anthropomorphic hedgehog who was part of a secret government program called Project Shadow. He has lived through tragedy and seeks revenge. Fowler said once they first met, he realized Reeves "very clearly had gone and done his homework", and that he desired to create a "fan-faithful" rendition of the character. Colleen O'Shaughnessey as Miles "Tails" Prower, an intelligent anthropomorphic yellow fox who can fly with his twin-tails and creates gadgets that can alter appearances and disable security Idris Elba as Knuckles the Echidna, a hot-headed and arrogant anthropomorphic red echidna warrior with super strength and the Flames of Disaster, a technique which allows his fists to burst into flames

Live-action Jim Carrey in a dual role as: Dr. Ivo Robotnik, a mad scientist and Sonic's arch-nemesis whom he often refers to as "Eggman" Prof. Gerald Robotnik, Ivo and Maria's grandfather and the head of Project Shadow. Carrey said an intrinsic difference between Gerald and Ivo was that Gerald was from an older, tougher generation, describing him as tough as "the rock that he crawled out from under". James Marsden as Tom Wachowski, the adoptive father of Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles, and the sheriff of Green Hills, Montana Tika Sumpter as Maddie Wachowski, Tom's wife, the adoptive mother of Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles, and the local veterinarian of Green Hills Lee Majdoub as Agent Stone, Ivo's assistant Krysten Ritter as Director Rockwell, a high-ranking officer of the military organization G.U.N. Natasha Rothwell as Rachel, Maddie's sister whom Maddie disguises as to infiltrate G.U.N. headquarters Shemar Moore as Randall Handel, a G.U.N. agent and Rachel's husband, whom Tom disguises as to infiltrate G.U.N. headquarters Adam Pally as Wade Whipple, the deputy sheriff of Green Hills who guards the Master Emerald for Knuckles Alyla Browne as 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 as Commander Walters, the former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who is the leader of G.U.N. James Wolk portrays a young Captain Walters, in the past in 1974. Jorma Taccone as 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 played the roles of brothers Pablo and Juan in the in-universe telenovela La Última Pasión, alongside Sofia Pernas, who plays Gabriella, who is caught in a love triangle with the brothers.

Production Development

In March 2020, James Marsden confirmed that he had signed on for multiple sequels to Sonic the Hedgehog (2020). In February 2022, Sega Sammy Group and Paramount Pictures had been developing a third film after Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022). It was formally announced during ViacomCBS's investor event. Produced by Original Film, Marza Animation Planet, and Blur Studio in association with Sega Sammy Group, Jeff Fowler returned as director while 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 served as executive producers. The film was made on a budget of $122 million. Pat Casey, Josh Miller, and John Whittington returned to write the screenplay, with the former two also being credited for the story. Paul Greenberg and Oren Uziel received off-screen additional literary material credit. In addition, a spin-off television series for Paramount+, Knuckles, was developed simultaneously with the film.

Casting

In April 2022, Jim Carrey—who portrays Dr. Ivo Robotnik in the films—announced that he was considering retiring from acting. 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. Carrey conceded, requiring that "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" if he were to continue. In February 2024, Carrey was confirmed to be reprising his role. Elaborating on his decision to sign on, he stated that "I came back to this universe because, first of all, I get to play a genius, which is a bit of a stretch. And, you know, it's just... I bought a lot of stuff and I need the money, frankly". Fowler made note of Carrey's comments about a script of gold, printing it out in 24-carat ink, which Fowler estimates would be worth about $100,000.