Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (film)

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is a 2024 action-adventure comedy film based on the Sonic video game series. The third in the Sonic film series, it was directed by Jeff Fowler and written by Pat Casey, Josh Miller, and John Whittington. Jim Carrey, Ben Schwartz, Natasha Rothwell, Shemar Moore, James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, and Idris Elba reprise their roles, with Krysten Ritter and Keanu Reeves joining the cast. In the film, Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles face Shadow the Hedgehog, who allies with the mad scientists Ivo and Gerald Robotnik to pursue revenge against humanity.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 was announced in February 2022 during ViacomCBS's investor event before the release of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022), with Fowler, the producers, and writers returning from that film. The plot draws elements from the video games Sonic Adventure 2 (2001) and Shadow 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 the John Wick films, and Alyla Browne was cast due to her performances in several George Miller films.

Due to the 2023 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 the Knuckles series, with studio ownership of the assets making this possible. Tom Holkenborg returned to compose the original score, which incorporated the Crush 40 song "Live & Learn" from Sonic Adventure 2, and the singer Jelly Roll released the original song "Run It" to support the soundtrack.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 premiered at the Empire Leicester Square in London on December 10, 2024, and was released by Paramount Pictures in the United States on December 20. It received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise for Carrey and Reeves's performances. The film was a box office success, grossing $492 million on a budget of $122 million, becoming the highest-grossing film in the franchise, the second highest-grossing video game film at the time of release, and the tenth-highest-grossing film of the year. Carrey won Favorite Villain at the 2025 Kids' Choice Awards. A fourth film is scheduled for 2027.