| Sonic the Hedgehog 3 | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Jeff Fowler |
| Screenplay by | |
| Story by |
|
| Based on | Sonic the Hedgehog bySega[a] |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Brandon Trost |
| Edited by | Al LeVine |
| Music by | Tom Holkenborg |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 110 minutes[3] |
| Countries | |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $122 million[7] |
| Box office | $492.2 million[8][9] |
Sonic the Hedgehog 3[b] is a 2024action-adventurecomedy film based on theSonic video game series. The third in theSonic film series, it was directed byJeff Fowler and written byPat Casey,Josh Miller, andJohn Whittington.Jim Carrey,Ben Schwartz,Natasha Rothwell,Shemar Moore,James Marsden,Tika Sumpter, andIdris Elba reprise their roles, withKrysten Ritter andKeanu Reeves joining the cast. In the film,Sonic,Tails, andKnuckles faceShadow the Hedgehog, who allies with themad scientistsIvo andGerald Robotnik to pursue revenge against humanity.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 was announced in February 2022 duringViacomCBS's investor event before the release ofSonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022), with Fowler, the producers, and writers returning from that film. The plot draws elements from the video gamesSonic Adventure 2 (2001) andShadow 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 theJohn Wick films, andAlyla Browne was cast due to her performances in severalGeorge Miller films.
Due to the2023 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 theKnuckles series, with studio ownership of the assets making this possible.Tom Holkenborg returned to composethe original score, which incorporated theCrush 40 song "Live & Learn" fromSonic Adventure 2, and the singerJelly Roll released the original song "Run It" to support the soundtrack.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 premiered at theEmpire Leicester Square in London on December 10, 2024, and was released byParamount Pictures in the United States on December 20. It received positive reviews from critics, who praised Carrey and Reeves's performances. The film was a box office success, grossing $492.2 million worldwide on a budget of $122 million, becoming the highest-grossing film in the franchise, thesecond highest-grossing video game film at the time of release, and thetenth-highest-grossing film of the year. Carrey won Favorite Villain at the2025 Kids' Choice Awards. A fourth film is scheduled for 2027.
In 1974, a meteorite containing the alien hedgehogShadow crash-lands inOklahoma and is seized by theU.S. military. Shadow's power is experimented on byProfessor Gerald Robotnik at aGuardian Units of Nations (G.U.N.) research facility under the supervision of Captain Walters; Shadow also develops a close friendship withMaria, 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 insuspended 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 withTails,Knuckles, and their adoptive parents Tom and Maddie Wachowski, inGreen 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 laserspace 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 aring 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 theMaster Emerald, and becomes superpowered using the sevenChaos 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[c] 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 theMoon. 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 ofMetal Sonic robots and saved byAmy Rose.[11] Elsewhere, Shadow has survived the cannon's destruction.
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Cristo Fernández played the roles of brothers Pablo and Juan in the in-universetelenovelaLa Última Pasión, alongsideSofia Pernas,[30] who plays Gabriella,[28] who is caught in alove triangle with the brothers.[30]
In March 2020,James Marsden confirmed that he had signed on for multiple sequels toSonic the Hedgehog (2020).[32] In February 2022,Sega Sammy Group andParamount Pictures had been developing a third film afterSonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022). It was formally announced duringViacomCBS's investor event.[33] Produced byOriginal Film,Marza Animation Planet, andBlur Studio in association with Sega Sammy Group,[34]Jeff Fowler returned as director whileNeal H. Moritz, Toby Ascher, Toru Nakahara, and Hitoshi Okuno returned as producers.[35] Haruki Satomi, Shuji Utsumi, Yukio Sugino, Fowler, Tommy Gormley, andTim Miller served as executive producers.[31]Pat Casey,Josh Miller, andJohn Whittington returned to write the screenplay, with the former two also being credited for the story.[31] Paul Greenberg andOren Uziel received off-screen additional literary material credit.[36] In addition, a spin-off television series forParamount+,Knuckles, was developed simultaneously with the film.[33]
In April 2022,Jim Carrey—who portraysDr. Ivo Robotnik in the films—announced that he was considering retiring from acting.[37] 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.[38] 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.[39]
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In February 2024, Carrey was confirmed to be reprising his role.[35] 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".[14] Fowler made note of Carrey's comments about a script of gold, printing it out in24-carat ink, which Fowler estimates would be worth about $100,000.[41][42][43]
On April 15, 2024, it was reported thatKeanu Reeves had joined the cast as the voice of Shadow.[15] Reeves had previously been a popularfancast for the role.[44][45] Fowler said there was an "obvious corollary" between Reeves's performance in theJohn Wick series and the "vibe we're trying to channel" for Shadow, and thus these films served as a "perfect, albeit unconventional, 'audition'" for the character.[46] Fowler attested that even ifJohn Wick had never been made, he believed Reeves's established history with dark and edgy characters would have led to them casting him anyway.[42] Miller said that Reeves had been the voice they imagined for Shadow during the writing process, and brought him up when discussing casting with Fowler and Ascher; they said that this process contrasted with their writing for Knuckles in the prior film, as Elba was not a popular fancast for the character and their conception of the voice was more generic.[13]
Additionally, Marsden,Ben Schwartz,Tika Sumpter,Colleen O'Shaughnessey,Idris Elba,Lee Majdoub, andTom Butler were confirmed to reprise their roles from the previous films.[12]Krysten Ritter,Alyla Browne,James Wolk,Sofia Pernas,Cristo Fernández, andJorma Taccone were cast in February 2024 in undisclosed roles;[12] Taccone was previously hired as an episode director for theKnuckles series.[47] On February 16, Browne's role was revealed asMaria.[24] Browne had previously been inGeorge Miller'sThree Thousand Years of Longing (2022) andFuriosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024) films, and Fowler said the team "inherited his great casting" of the actress.[42] Ritter portrays Director Rockwell,[21] Wolk portrays a young Captain Walters,[27] while Taccone plays Kyle Lancebottom, a G.U.N. agent on Prison Island who watches over Shadow.[28]Sofia Pernas andCristo Fernández respectively play Gabriella, and the twin brothers Juan and Pablo inLa Última Pasión, atelenovela Ivo and Shadow watch.[40][30]
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 draws inspiration from the video gamesSonic Adventure 2 (2001) andShadow the Hedgehog (2005).[48][49] Miller said that adaptingSonic Adventure 2 meant that a main question was "how dark can it get" while remainingPG-rated, and Casey said that a main challenge was how to tie Shadow's backstory together with Sonic's story, which he said was achieved by looking at the thematic parallels of the significance of family between the two.[13] Among the elements fromSonic Adventure 2 incorporated were the fairy-like creatures theChao. In the film, they are part of a Chao Gardens-themed restaurant in Tokyo, the city where Team Sonic and Shadow face off for the first time. Fowler felt using the characters in a popular attraction was believable, and could be used as aplot device, such as when Team Sonic needed to have a moment to regroup and have a conversation about what was going on.[18] Miller said that one main challenge of adapting the story elements ofSonic Adventure 2 was balancing the darkness with the mandate to keep the film family-friendly, and that another was to adapt the story elements for the timeframe and narrative ofthe film series; Casey said that two obvious examples were that the concept of Gerald, Maria, and Shadow living in the ARK space station as they did in the games would be incompatible with the setting of the 1970s, and discarding Maria'sterminal illness from the games as for this story it was not needed.[13]
To write the dual roles of Gerald and Ivo for Carrey, Fowler said they initially focused on parallels between his two characters, not just with their physical appearances but in characterization as well; they then decided they needed to "create the right sort of conflict" for the film.[18] Casey said Carrey embraced the story of Gerald's "toxicity" affecting Ivo, who "regresses into a little kid", and said that the "hurt" the film reveals Ivo experienced gave the story more emotion.[13] Miller described their role in writing the script for Carrey as building "an arena for him to kind of go bonkers and come up with all these ideas", and that much of the characters' humor was conceived by the actor himself, and Casey described his and Miller's writing as a "framework" for Carrey.[13]
Casey said he and Miller had considered writing in the line "guns, lots of guns" for Shadow to say in an homage to voice actor Reeves having two characters,Neo fromThe Matrix andJohn Wick, who said the line before—though they decided against it, instead ending up with the film referencing the Reeves filmSpeed (1994) and the choreography of Sonic and Shadow's final duel mimicking that of Neo andAgent Smith's fight at the end ofThe Matrix.[50] Fowler felt that the world did not become "edgy" with Shadow's character, but said the tone the character brought made the films more exciting and dangerous.[18] He acknowledged the elements offirearms and Shadow's motorcycle in his eponymous 2005 video game, and said that they were "very respectful" about fan expectations for the adaptation, and that he and his team were cognizant of how to properly incorporate that imagery into a family film.[18] Fowler explained that the inclusion of a reference to theTikTok meme "Shadow loves Latinas" in the film was a way to "honor what fans know and love" about the franchise's history of being the subject of onlineshitposting.[51] Initially being unaware of the meme and its popularity, Juan / Pablo actor Cristo Fernández mused the appreciation of it was tied to the appeal oftelenovelas, the medium with which the meme was implemented in the film—Shadow watches the in-universe telenovelaLa Última Pasión, and takes a liking to the character Gabriella.[40]
Principal photography was originally scheduled to begin on August 31, 2023, in London, England,[52][53] but was delayed to September.[54] Production with physical actors started on November 29, 2023, and was announced with a teaser image of Shadow the Hedgehog'sstand-in statue used in filming.[55]Brandon Trost returned fromSonic 2 as cinematographer,[56]: 56 and Luke Freeborn wasproduction designer.[21] Schwartz began recording for the film by mid-February 2024.[57] Marsden said that filming had been completed by March 14,[58] while Fowler officially revealed that the film had wrapped production on March 29.[59]
Fowler said that asking Carrey to play thedual role of Ivo's grandfather Gerald was "such a big ask", and meant Carrey had to spend three hours in a makeup chair being physically prepared to play Gerald each time.[18] Carrey also helped design the prosthetics he wore.[43] While Carrey performed each role, actor Brendan Murphy doubled for the other character.[20] During each performance, Carrey informed Murphy how he would be doing the other, a system the former said was "very technically difficult", especially considering that he was interacting with a pre-recorded voice track of the opposite character during his performances.[20] Trost said that Murphy "had to understand [Carrey]'s performance inside and out" in order to convincingly perform.[56]: 58 StarCristo Fernández said that he had not had the opportunity to meet Carrey—a childhood hero of his—nor Reeves during production, as his portion of the film was shot separately from all the other actors.[30] Trost credited his experience directing his filmAn American Pickle, in whichSeth Rogen performed a dual role, with informing how he approached planning the shoots for Carrey's dual role.[56]: 58 Due to the complexity of the makeup needed for his role as Gerald, shooting Carrey performing as both of his characters on the same day was not feasible. As such, Trost said that the production crew spent a significant amount of time ensuring that the shooting conditions were in the same state as they had been before when Carrey's second part of the scene was shot. The crew took detailed notes andpanorama photographs documenting the set and the shooting setup in order to ensure consistency.[56]: 58–60
Fowler said that Reeves "would just give us so many different versions of line readings and just want to keep going" during voice recording and said he put more into his performance than "just sort of showing up and reading the script into a microphone", both understanding their vision for the film and realizing his interpretation of Shadow;[17] Reeves was prepared with questions to give himself insight about what the team was trying to achieve.[18] Animation supervisor Clem Yip said Reeves's low-key, serious vocal performance informed their visual work.[26] As opposed to acting with a placeholdertennis ball in scenes with Shadow, Browne shot scenes with a Shadow puppet, with his puppeteersad-libbing certain lines into the film.[26] Fowler explained that "it really takes skill and imagination to create a believable performance" with there not being "really anything" to act with in scenes—something the other performers had to accomplish—and remarked that he was impressed with Browne's mastery of this at her young age.[42] In creating the action sequences involving Shadow, Fowler paidhomage to the 2005Shadow the Hedgehog game by adapting several of its action scenes in the film.[60] Fowler previously worked as an animator on the 2005 game, and felt honored to adapt the character for the screen.[61]
As a cost-cutting measure, the producers had an in-house animation team at Paramount work on bothSonic the Hedgehog 3 and theKnuckles series.[62] Clem Yip served asanimation supervisor,[26] while Al LeVine served as film editor.[21] Animation was produced by six studios:Rising Sun Pictures,Rodeo FX,Industrial Light & Magic, Fin,Marza Animation Planet and the in-house team at Paramount.[26] Fowler's team took a "speedboat vendor" strategy, dividing the animation work across these six studios.[26] Fowler emphasized the need for visual continuity between the projects and cited communication as critical to this mandate.[62] Trost said that much of filming was set up to accommodate lighting, framing, camera movements, and other processes completed during VFX production. He said that the filming crew accepted that their work constituted around 30% of the content in a final frame, and that the VFX crews trusted them to deliver a "strong foundation" to work on.[56]: 62
According to Ascher, the in-house team "made an investment in theSonic assets", built them themselves then distributed them to the vendors, which he noted was comparatively different from previous installments where "usually the vendor controls the assets that theyrig". Owning the assets also allowed for their in-house team to work exclusively onSonic the Hedgehog 3 andKnuckles, and helped the production "keep costs down and move faster".[62] Fowler said that the multi-studio process meant there were more parties "you have to bring up to speed, so initially there's an extra level of work that has to be done". He said that once this was achieved, the flexibility allowed his team to tweak the finer aspects of the production and the performances.[26]
Tom Holkenborg, who composed the score for the first twoSonic films, returned to scoreSonic the Hedgehog 3[64] and had finished work by July 2024.[65] In December 2023Johnny Gioeli, the vocalist for the bandCrush 40, said there had been talks of including "Live & Learn", the theme song fromSonic Adventure 2, inSonic the Hedgehog 3.[66] In February 2024, Gioeli confirmed "Live & Learn" would be included in the film.[67] It is introduced in the opening scene ofSonic the Hedgehog 3 as ariff that Maria Robotnik plays on her guitar, from then on functioning as aleitmotif for Shadow. The vocal version, remixed by the film's composer, appears during Sonic and Shadow's duel and when they transform intoSuper Sonic andSuper Shadow to stop theEclipse Cannon from destroying the Earth.[68] Fowler explained his affinity for the "awesome" song made its use inevitable in the film, and joked that fans would have hunted him down if he failed to use it, which he did "strong[ly]".[68] The singerJelly Roll released a single for the film, "Run It", on November 21, 2024.[63]Sonic the Hedgehog 3 also features the song "Neon" from Japanese rock bandOne Ok Rock, who previously contributed to the soundtrack for the 2022 gameSonic Frontiers.[10] The soundtrack album was released byMilan Records on December 20, 2024.[69]
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 premiered at theEmpire Leicester Square in London on December 10, 2024,[70] and at theTCL Chinese Theatre inLos Angeles, California, on December 16.[71][72] It was released in the United States byParamount Pictures on December 20, taking over the original release date ofSmurfs (2025).[73] It screened in4DX and otherpremium formats, though forewent anIMAX release.[74] Paramount held a fan event on December 19 for early screenings at theaters in premium formats.[75]
In April 2024 atCinemaCon, Paramount showcased first-look footage of the film, which featured a heavier Robotnik bemoaning his current state before Agent Stone informs him that "they found him", and Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles fighting a silent Shadow.[76] In July, a popcorn bucket and action figures produced byJakks Pacific wereleaked online.[77] On August 25, the first official tease of Keanu Reeves's involvement as Shadow was posted to the film'sTikTok account, which referenced the actor's mention in the first film, captioned "foreSHADOWing".[78] Beginning at that time, images of the film's characters were projected on buildings in locations globally in promotion of the film's first trailer,[79] which released on August 27 alongside a teaser poster.[80] Several critics considered Reeves's role the most prominent feature in the trailer.[81][82]IGN observed that "Keanu Reeves is very much in Keanu Reeves mode here",[83] andVulture likened the actor's moody and vengeful portrayal of Shadow to aJohn Wick performance.[84] Ash Parrish ofThe Verge agreed that Reeves's voice was satisfactory, and also noted Maria's reveal, anticipating how the film would adapt her fate.[25]
On the opening weekend of Paramount'sTransformers One, posters of Shadow were raffled to the first 300 attendees at select theaters, with Reeves signing a limited quantity of them.[85] In commemoration ofHalloween, a 10-second clip from the film of Shadow saying "boo" was posted on social media.[86] On November 4, a promotionalstill image of Shadow was released byFandango.[87] On November 18, a new poster was released, featuring the main team, the Robotniks, and Shadow, who looms above the cast at the top and also rides his Dark Rider motorcycle at the bottom.[88] Several press outlets were also sent aSega Genesiscartridge containing promotional posters and voice lines from the characters, as well as aminigame through which the date for the film's second trailer could be unlocked by inputting acheat code from the gameSonic the Hedgehog 3 (1994);↑ ↑ ↓ ↓ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑.[89] The trailer was released on November 25. Commentary focused on Shadow's use of a gun in one scene, considering the prominence of firearms in the 2005Shadow the Hedgehog game and Sega's subsequent disownment,[90][91][92] as well as Tails being mistaken for thePokémon characterPikachu.[90][93] The phrases "HE HAS A GUN" and "HE PISSED ON THE MOON" began trending on social media following the trailer's release, with the latter being a reference to the popular web seriesSnapCube's Real-Time Fandub.[92]
By October, the Jakks Pacific toy merchandise was released.[94] The shoe companyReebok produced a tie-in line of sneakers in promotion for the film,[95] andMcDonald's soldHappy Meal toys of the film's characters.[96]AMC Theaters produced a novelty popcorn bucket of Sonic's head and a collectible combo of a cup, drink topper, and a mask.[97] On December 11, 2024, Paramount also released several posters parodying numerous Christmas films.[98] The original "Ugly Sonic" design from the first film that received backlash was featured as a sweater design that would be given away as a prize.[99] A stop-motion short, "A Very Sonic Christmas", was released on December 11, 2024, with Schwartz, Elba, O'Shaughnessey, and Reeves reprising their roles, and Wade Whipple actor Adam Pally voicingSanta Claus.[100] A tie-in video game,Shadow Generations, was released in October 2024. TheSonic Team head,Takashi Iizuka, said he wanted to "spotlight Shadow as a character".[101]Downloadable content based on the film was released on December 12, with an additional level set in Tokyo as it appears in the film; during the level, Shadow's appearance changes to resemble his movie counterpart, with Reeves reprising his voice.[102][103] Reeves and Fowler gave an interview onCBS Mornings to promote the film.[104]
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 was released fordigital download on January 21, 2025,[105] and released onUltra HD Blu-ray,Blu-ray, andDVD on April 15.[105] 4KSteelBook options include an edition with Sonic on the cover, and anAmazon retailer-exclusive version with Shadow on a red lightning bolt pattern background.[106] Special features content includeaudio commentary with Fowler and Schwartz, a feature with Reeves and the cast discussing Shadow, a segment in the recording booth with Schwartz, Elba, and O'Shaughnessy, and the "A Very Sonic Christmas" special.[106] The film began streaming onParamount+ in the United States and Canada on February 18, 2025.[107] Upon the film's digital release in the UK, it debuted atop theOfficial Charts Company'sOfficial Film Chart.[108]
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 grossed $236.1 million in the United States and Canada, and $256 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $492.2 million.[8][9] It became thetenth-highest-grossing film of 2024.[109]Deadline Hollywood calculated the film's net profit as $123.6 million. Accounting for production budgets, marketing, and other costs against the film's box office grosses, merchandise, television and streaming, and home media revenues, the site rankedSonic 3 tenth on their list of 2024's "Most Valuable Blockbusters".[110]
In the United States and Canada,Sonic the Hedgehog 3 was released alongsideMufasa: The Lion King and was projected to gross $55–60 million from 3,800 theaters.[7] The film made $6.5 million from Thursday night previews, setting a record for theSonic franchise.[111][112] On Friday, the film grossed $25.7 million, a slight decrease fromSonic the Hedgehog 2, which made $26.3 million.[113] The film went on to gross $60.1 million during the three-day opening weekend, topping the box office and achieving the second-highest weekend debut for a PG film in December behind 2005'sThe Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe ($65.6 million).[114][115][116] In its second weekend,Sonic the Hedgehog 3 retained the top spot at the box office with $37 million.[117][118] At this point, the film's $136 million US and Canada box office total brought Reeves's lifetime box office earnings in that region over the $3 billion threshold.[119][118]
The film finished in second place behindMufasa: The Lion King in its third weekend with $21.4 million.[120][121] The film finished in third place behindMufasa: The Lion King andDen of Thieves 2: Pantera in its fourth weekend with $11.3 million.[122][123] By its fifth weekend, the film surpassed the gross of its predecessor with $420 million, becoming the highest-grossing film in the franchise.[124] In its sixth weekend, it grossed $10.6 million.[125] In its seventh, it reached a worldwide total of $462.5 million, making it thesecond-highest-grossing video game film of all time, ahead ofPokémon Detective Pikachu (2019) and behindThe Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023).[126] By March 4, the film grossed $485.7 million, overtakingBruce Almighty (2003) as Carrey's highest-grossing film.[127]
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 received a positive critical response.[28] On thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, 86% of 152 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.70/10. The website's consensus reads: "With a double helping of Jim Carrey's antics and a quicksilver pace befitting its hero,Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is the best entry in this amiable series yet."[128]Metacritic, which uses aweighted average, assigned the film a score of 56 out of 100, based on 28 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[129] Audiences polled byCinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale, matching the previous two films' grades, while those polled byPostTrak gave it an 89% positive score.[113]
Reeves's and Carrey's performances received praise.[130][131]Variety'sOwen Gleiberman said that Reeves's "tones of deepest resonance" made Shadow empathetic, and that Carrey topped his previous work with his roles as the Robotniks.[34]Screen Rant's Rachel Labonte named Reeves's Shadow the standout, saying Reeves was brilliant at conveying the "hurt and steel".[132]ComicBook.com's Marc Deschamps wrote that Reeves perfectly portrayed Shadow, and that his brooding and darkness mixed well with the film's humor. He said while Gerald and Ivo largely served ascomic relief, their relationship also contextualized Ivo and Agent Stone's characters, and that the film made a great ending for Robotnik.[133]The New York Times'sGlenn Kenny felt Reeves brought "suitableemo brooding" to Shadow, and that Carrey's "virtuoso double act" was "bombastic".[134]IGN's Matt Donato said that Reeves's identity—already reflected by his voice—profoundly paralleled the tragedy in Shadow's story considering Reeves had experienced "unthinkable" hardships in his life; Donato concluded that Reeves "is Shadow the Hedgehog".[135]
The A.V. Club's Matt Donato wrote Reeves added "stoic somberness" to the established cast and noted Carrey's doubling up of the "looniness".[136]The Hollywood Reporter said that Reeves brought the same gravitas to Shadow that he did toJohn Wick, feeling his delivery of "quiet condescension" made him "all the scarier for the lack of overt menace". It praised Carrey's jokes, but questioned the returning human characters.[137]Polygon's Jesse Hassenger said Carrey's "gloriously deranged one-man, two-character musical" contrasted with the "utter sincerity" of Reeves, who made Shadow a "weirdly likable little ball of pain".[138] In contrast,The Guardian's Andrew Pulver was ambivalent or critical about most of the performances and said the film would have been "a lot, lot worse" without Carrey,[139] whileDeadline Hollywood's Pete Hammond felt Carrey'sfourth-wall breaking was not as impactful givenRyan Reynolds's success withDeadpool.[140]The Observer's Wendy Ide wrote "two Jim Carreys, each of them turning every individual line of dialogue into an extravagant pantomime of gurning and grandstanding, is categorically one too many".[141]
Fowler's direction and theCGI were the subject of critical commentary. Donato said that the direction made the plot "digestible",[136] Hammond felt Fowler's grandeur was excessive, though admitted that audiences would not find this a problem,[140] and Labonte said Fowler succeeded in expressing Shadow's story in an emotional and engaging way.[132] Donato said that the animation was executed successfully and uniformly such that one could not tell there were six separate studios working in parallel.[136] Kenny felt the "teeming computer graphics gadgetry of death and destruction" was "bombastic".[134] A. A. Dowd ofIGN said the CGI was "much more pleasing" than in previousSonic films.[142]IndieWire's Christian Zilko criticized the CGI, feeling the characters never fit in a given scene, and said Fowler's work was mediocre.[143]
| Award | Date of Ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards | June 21, 2025 | Favorite Movie | Sonic the Hedgehog 3 | Nominated | [144] [145] |
| Favorite Movie Actor | Jim Carrey | Nominated | |||
| Favorite Male Voice from an Animated Movie | Ben Schwartz | Nominated | |||
| Keanu Reeves | Nominated | ||||
| Favorite Villain | Jim Carrey | Won | |||
| Favorite Song from a Movie | "Run It" –Jelly Roll | Nominated | |||
| Golden Joystick Awards | November 20, 2025 | Best Game Adaptation | Sonic the Hedgehog 3 | Nominated | [146] |
In September 2024, producer Toby Ascher stated intent for additionalSonic films.[147] Elba and Reeves have expressed interest in a spin-off starring their characters.[148] In December 2024, a fourthSonic film entered development, set for release on March 19, 2027.[149][150] Despite his character's apparent death inSonic the Hedgehog 3, Carrey said in January 2025 that he was "open to the idea" of returning for the fourth film, provided that its premise interested him.[151]
According to further details from Josh Miller, both the present and past (James Wolk) incarnation of this military man...
according to screenwriters Pat Casey and Josh Miller, the third Sonic movie has taken great inspiration from the video gamesSonic Adventure 2 andShadow the Hedgehog
The cinematic stars aligned when Keanu agreed to play Shadow, delivering yet another memorable, positively reviewed performance.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 features not one but two Jim Carreys ... The stunt has been positively received by fans and critics alike, and it feels like it was meant to be from the start.
