(Updated 02/02/2024)
The first two SONIC THE HEDGEHOG movies were hits with core fans and general audiences, and a third movie was put into development just after the second came out. Now SONIC 3 is set for a prime December 2024 release date, and more details will be revealed to the public soon
While we wait for the first images and trailer, here's everything you need to know (so far) about SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 3.
What's the Sonic 3 Release Date?
Paramount Pictures has set December 20, 2024 as the release date for SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 3.
Is There a Trailer for Sonic 3?
There is no trailer for SONIC 3 yet, but there is an animated title reveal, which you can see above. The movie only began filming in November 2023, so the first trailer might not debut for a while. We expect to see something at CinemaCon, but materials shown off at that expo in April are not always immediately available to the public.
And, yes, the title reveal video ends with a bit of audio that teases the return of Dr. Robotnik, which we'll get into below.
What's the Plot of Sonic 3?
Right now, we know almost nothing about the plot of SONIC 3. Around the release of SONIC 2, writers Josh Miller and Pat Casey talked in very vague terms about the sequel without giving away even the sketch of a story outline. All we really have is the tease of Shadow the Hedgehog — sort of the Batman to Sonic's Superman — at the end of the movie.
Miller did say "with a character like Knuckles it very quickly was easy to see how we’d make Knuckles work so you can take him seriously, but he can also be funny since this is a Sonic the Hedgehog movie. You look to characters like Worf from "Star Trek: The Next Generation" or Drax from GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY. It’s easier to wrap your head around that with Shadow, again, because he’s not really supposed to be that funny. I’m trying to think of what we can say since we can’t reveal anything."
Casey added, "You have to look for it in the contrast between Shadow and Sonic and the other characters. Because Shadow is a very serious guy, but you don’t want to make him into a big joke like Lego Batman or something because he’s got to carry a serious story."
Will Jim Carrey Be in Sonic 3?
Yes! Jim Carrey is in SONIC 3. Originally, we thought Carrey might not appear in the movie, as he announced his intent to retire after SONIC 2. “Well, I’m retiring. Yeah, probably. I’m being fairly serious,” Carrey said in 2022. “It depends. If 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, I might continue down the road, but I’m taking a break."
Carey had been slowing down his work in studio movies already; between 2014 and 2022 he only made DUMB AND DUMBER TO, SONIC THE HEDGEHOG and SONIC 2, with a couple of indie movies sprinkled in as well. In 2022, SONIC producers Neal Moritz and Toby Ascher said they hoped Carrey would return for SONIC 3. Clearly, he was convinced to play Robotnik one more time.
The Cast of Sonic 3
Most of the SONIC 3 cast members we know so far are returning from previous movies. Ben Schwartz will once again voice Sonic the Hedgehog, and James Marsden and Tika Sumpter return as Tom and Maddie Wachowski. Jim Carrey plays Dr. Robotnik, and Lee Majdoub will return as his assistant, Agent Stone.
Additionally, Colleen O'Shaughnessey will voice Tails and Idris Elba returns as Knuckles. The cast also features Kristen Ritter, Alyla Brown, and James Wolk, but we do not know what roles any of those actors play.
We also know that, as mentioned above, brooding anti-hero Shadow the Hedgehog has a part in the movie, but we do not know who will voice Shadow, or how significant the character's role in the story will be. If Shadow is in the film, we might also see some of Robotnik's family, as Shadow was created by Robotnik's grandfather.
SONIC 3 opens on December 20.
All images courtesy of Paramount Pictures.