Sonic the Hedgehog 4 ‘in the works at Paramount’
A fourth ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ movie is reportedly in development at Paramount Pictures.
Just as ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 3’ hits cinemas, Variety has claimed the studio is working on another sequel, and is planning to release the film in Spring 2027.
The beloved Sega video game franchise - which began back in 1991 with the first platformer released on the Sega Mega Drive, known as the Sega Genesis in the US - first burst onto the silver screen in 2020, and the franchise stars Ben Schwartz as the voice of Sonic, with Jim Carrey playing the evil Doctor Robotnik and James Marsden portraying the hedgehog’s human accomplice Tom Wachowski.
The movie proved to be box office success - bringing in $320 million globally on a budget of approximately $85 million - and so Paramount commissioned a 2022 sequel and a spin-off TV show ‘Knuckles’, which starred Idris Elba in the titular role.
Afterwards, Paramount greenlit ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 3’, which introduced Keanu Reeves as Sonic’s arch-nemesis Shadow and also features Idris reprising his role as Knuckles the Echidna.
The ‘John Wick’ actor, 60, said he found voicing the villainous hedgehog “ exhilarating” because it gave him the freedom to express himself.
During an appearance on ‘CBS Mornings’, he said: “There's something really special about the concentration and the way that you have to articulate the voice and express. I find it really exhilarating.”
‘The Matrix’ star added he spend time “trying to find [his] inner Shadow and bring it out to the fore” in the movie.
Director Jeff Fowler - who has helmed the cinematic series since its debut four years ago - praised Reeves for his commitment to the role and for ensuring he captured the essence of the character.
The filmmaker said: “One of the things Keanu did, which is really smart, was identify the other characters' voice performances. When you have four voice actors in the same film, they all want to have their own unique sound. Keanu identified that need and found his Shadow.”
‘Sonic the Hedgehog 3’ follows Sonic (Schwartz), Tom (Marsden) and Tails (Colleen O'Shaughnessey) as they try to stop the powerful Shadow (Reeves) from destroying the world.
Having starring in all three movies, Marsden said he was grateful to be a part of such a successful franchise, and emphasised it was “rare” that flicks like ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ get made today.
He told Collider: “It's crazy. Also, I just feel like it's rare that you get to make three of these movies anymore, where you do get a chance to do a sequel, let alone a third film. So, it really speaks to the fans, the popularity of the movie.”
The ‘X-Men’ star, 51, added the secret to the series’ popularity was the team’s dedication to the fans.
He explained: “The writing, the passion, the performances. We've got a really special formula going on with these movies.
“But I think at the core of it, too, is we wanted to get it right for the fans because it is such an iconic character and a universe that you don't want to mess around with. You want to get it right.”
