Here’s an easy way to level up your film franchise: throw Keanu Reeves into the mix. And that’s exactly the approach being taken by the Sonic The Hedgehog threequel. The first film introduced the blue blur, pal Tails, and Jim Carrey’s Dr. Robotnik. Sonic The Hedgehog 2 brought in Idris Elba as Knuckles the Echidna. Now, after the events of the Knuckles spin-off series, the third outing in the film series has officially collected enough shiny gold rings to add an extra character in the mix. Make way for the nefarious Shadow The Hedgehog, voiced by The One and only, Keanu Reeves. Woah. Check out the trailer.
There’s plenty for fans to be excited about here. Long-term Sega fans will be thrilled to see yet another spiny favourite in the mix, there’s colourful video-gamey action, and Jim Carrey is back in not just one but two roles – as Dr. Robotnik, and (gasp!) Robotnik’s father. Considering how popular these Sonic adaptations have been (the first one nabbed $320 million worldwide, despite releasing in the pandemic-ridden 2020; the sequel upped that to $405 million in 2022), the stage is set for Sonic 3 (and Knuckles?) to get a new high score.
Sonic 3 is once again directed by Jeff Fowler, who also helmed the two previous entries, as well as the opening instalment of the Knuckles series. He’s cinema’s Sonic auteur. As ever, Ben Schwartz is voicing Sonic, with Colleen O’Shaughnessey as Tails – and James Marsden is still along for the ride as human tagalong Tom Wachowski. (Is that surname how they managed to get Keanu on board?) We’ll see how the film fares – and if Reeves’ Shadow becomes one of the good guys by the end – when it hits cinemas this December.