Director Jeff Fowler has unveiled a behind-the-scenes image for Sonic the Hedgehog 3, offering fans a first look at the inclusion of Shadow in the upcoming movie. Shadow’s presence was initially hinted at in Sonic the Hedgehog 2’s post-credits scene, where he opens his eyes.
The image reveals Shadow’s iconic sneakers, a control panel and a clapperboard with the movie’s logo. It also features streaks reminiscent of Sonic Adventure 2, the game where Shadow first appeared. This suggests Sonic the Hedgehog 3 will draw inspiration from the iconic game, exploring Shadow’s dark origin story in live-action.
Production on Sonic the Hedgehog 3 temporarily halted due to the SAG-AFTRA strikes, but today’s update confirms the resumption of work.
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Jeff Fowler continues as director alongside returning voice actors Idris Elba as Knuckles, Ben Schwartz as Sonic, and Colleen O’Shaughnessey as Tails. For the live action James Marsden returns as Tom Wachowski, Tika Sumpter as his wife Maddie and Lee Majdoub as Agent Stone.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 will be in theaters December 20, 2024
Sonic the Hedgehog 2’s post-credits scene sets the stage for Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles to face a new villain connected to Dr. Eggman’s family. The movie may explore familiar game locations like Prison Island and Space Colony ARK, with potential appearances from characters like Amy Rose or Rouge the Bat.
Additionally, 2024 brings the highly anticipated Knuckles spinoff series, with Idris Elba reprising his voice role. Tika Sumper and Ben Schwartz are reprising their roles in the series with Kid Cudi joining the cast. It will stream on Paramount Plus.
The third film follows the immense success of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, which became the highest-grossing video game film in the U.S. until The Super Mario Bros. Movie claimed that title earlier this year.
As Sonic’s cinematic universe expands, Jim Carrey’s future as Dr. Robotnik remains uncertain following the ambiguous conclusion of the sequel. However, there are no plans to recast the villain.