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- This article is about the film. For other uses, see Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (disambiguation).
Sonic the Hedgehog 3[22][note 1] is a live action film based on the Sonic the Hedgehog series and the sequel to the 2022 film Sonic the Hedgehog 2. It is the third entry in the Sonic the Hedgehog film series produced by Paramount Pictures, and was released on 20 December 2024.
Being a loose adaptation of the video game Sonic Adventure 2 (2001) and taking some inspiration from Shadow the Hedgehog (2005), the film follows Team Sonic as they face the return and latest scheme of Dr. Robotnik, all while a mysterious adversary emerges.
Plot
Shadow escapes from Prison Island after spending 50 years in stasis.
On Prison Island in Tokyo Bay, Japan, an anthropomorphic red-and-black hedgehog named Shadow is being kept in suspended animation while being monitored by Guardian Units of Nations. One of the guards expresses concern for the project, but another guard assures him that Shadow has not moved in fifty years. In his capsule, Shadow recalls old memories, such as listening to a young girl play on a guitar, watching the stars with her, and a tragedy that occurred long ago. Suddenly, Shadow's heart rate begins to spike, then one of the guards notices that their system has been hacked and the containment tank is destabilizing. As the heartrate monitor glitches, the guards realize that Shadow is waking up and immediately calls for security. Multiple G.U.N. soldiers surround and aim at the capsule containing Shadow. Despite his heartrate flatlining for a brief moment, Shadow suddenly awakens and shatters the glass keeping him contained before teleporting out of sight. He then knocks out the soldiers one by one, using his ability to disappear and reappear in between each attack. One of the guards' requests backup, only to realize that there is nobody left. Shadow breaks through the compound and teleports onto the water, skating away from Prison Island and toward Tokyo.
Elsewhere, in a forest near Green Hills, Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Tom, and Maddie, are out enjoying a camping trip. While Tails and Knuckles start to prepare for a race, Sonic walks up to them dressed in swimming gear, under the assumption that they were going tubing. Realizing that they are actually having a race, Sonic discards his swimming gear and asks Tom and Maddie to start the countdown. Tom assures Maddie that a bit of sibling rivalry is healthy and that he and his brothers were similar, to which Maddie responds that his brothers were lunatics and none of them were born with the ability to trigger a global cataclysmic event. Tom concedes her point and asks the three to keep the race "cataclysmic-less", which they all agree to. Once Maddie finishes counting down, the race begins. Sonic is confident that he is in the lead, but is surprised to see both Tails and Knuckles ahead of him. Sonic quickly takes back the lead, using his Spin Dash to gain more speed until he reaches the goal. His celebration is cut short when he sees that Tails and Knuckles were somehow already there, meaning he has lost, but he soon realizes that they are actually holograms. Sonic is initially excited to know that he is still the fastest of the group, but then becomes curious as to what is going on. He rushes back to the starting point to find Maddie, Tails, Tom, Ozzy, and Knuckles surprising him with a party. Tom explains that today is the anniversary of the day that Sonic came to Earth, dubbing it "Happy B(earth)day". Knuckles states that today is the day they honor Sonic, while the others comment on how Sonic has improved the group's lives and brought them together as a family (except for Ozzy, who envies Sonic due to the fact that he "stole [his] hoomans").
Sonic revisits the Hedgehog Cave with Tom.
After the party, Sonic thanks Tom for setting it up. He then notices a familiar location nearby and immediately rushes toward it, slightly annoying Tom by going too fast as usual. After arriving where Sonic went to, Tom quickly realizes that it is the cave where Sonic used to live. Tom is surprised that Sonic lived in such a poor environment for so long while Sonic plays with the nunchucks that he refers to as his "state-of-the-art security system". Tom then notices a mural on the wall, which Sonic explains he drew on his first night on Earth to remember his origins and time with Longclaw. Sonic wonders if Longclaw would be proud of him, and Tom assures him that she would due to the fact that despite losing her at such a young age, he did not let his pain change who he is in his heart. Tom goes on to explain that life is about the choices people make, both good and bad, and that as long as Sonic listens to his heart, he will make the right choice when it matters most. Sonic thanks Tom for the advice and wonders how different his life would be without him, believing he would probably be a completely different hedgehog, being just like Shadow.
In Tokyo, Shadow is walking the streets, gradually growing accustomed to his new modern surroundings. Then he turns to see a promotional ad and discovers that it's the year 2024, leaving him shocked to discover that he was trapped for 50 years (1974 - 2024). All of a sudden, a horde of G.U.N. soldiers and vehicles surround the area and rally around Shadow. Annoyed by G.U.N.'s continued pursuit of him, Shadow prepares for a fight as his eyes glow with red and orange energy. Back at the campsite, Sonic's group is relaxing and roasting marshmallows, with Tom and Maddie appreciating the opportunity to have some peace and quiet. However, they are interrupted by the sudden arrival of a G.U.N. helicopter, from which Director Rockwell emerges. She explains to them that Commander Walters is requesting Team Sonic's immediate assistance in dealing with the situation in Tokyo. In response to this, Knuckles questions the team name while Sonic immediately agrees to it given his nature. As they set off on the helicopter, Maddie calls out to Team Sonic, reminding them to make good choices.
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Team Sonic meets Shadow.
After using a Ring to reach Tokyo, Sonic asks Tails, who is piloting the helicopter, how to find Shadow. At that moment, a giant explosion erupts, providing them with a clear sign of where to start looking. Tails proudly displays his newly made titanium handcuffs, which Knuckles dismissively ignores, claiming he is "one million percent muscle." This assertion slightly annoys Sonic and Tails, as they have heard it numerous times before. The co-pilot informs Team Sonic that they are over the drop zone, and the trio agrees to stick together, regardless of who or what is down there. Director Rockwell approaches them, making a quip before Team Sonic exits the helicopter. Upon landing at the scene, they observe that G.U.N. has been defeated and wonder what transpired. As Tails picks up strong energy readings on the Miles Electric, a truck is suddenly hurled toward them. Knuckles catches it and tosses it aside, once again boasting about his strength. Then, Shadow appears before Team Sonic, surprising them with his similar appearance to Sonic. Both hedgehogs question why the other looks like him, but Shadow quickly dismisses the conversation as a waste of time. He warns the trio to walk away before they get hurt. Wanting to resolve the situation without conflict, Sonic pulls out the handcuffs that Tails made and asks Shadow to talk with them. However, Shadow refuses, citing their association with G.U.N., and turns to walk away.
Knuckles attempts to attack Shadow, who uses Chaos Control in response.
Having had enough, Knuckles charges at Shadow to attack him, but Shadow uses his teleportation ability to overwhelm and send Knuckles crashing into a nearby shop. After helping Knuckles up, Team Sonic prepares to fight Shadow together, only to be swiftly defeated by the black hedgehog. He then picks up a energy gun and drives off on a motorbike, warning them not to follow. Tails tries to advise Sonic against pursuing Shadow, calling it a bad idea, but Sonic, believing that has never stopped him in the past, goes after him anyway. After chasing him through the streets of Tokyo and bantering along the way, Sonic and Shadow clash with their respective chaos energies, resulting in a citywide power outage. The city's backup generators turn on shortly after, and Sonic wakes up to find himself handcuffed to a nearby railing. Tails and Knuckles quickly find him, the former of whom is upset that Sonic went off by himself despite them being a team. Sonic apologizes, still not fully accustomed to the concept of teamwork, and decides they need to regroup and get some answers from G.U.N. before continuing.
To this end, they decide to take shelter at a Chao Garden café, where they are later joined by Commander Walters. When Sonic asks who Shadow is, Walters explains that Shadow's story is similar to his own, but while Sonic found family and friends on Earth, Shadow only encountered pain and loss. Walters recounts that Shadow's story began over fifty years ago with a meteor crash in a quiet corner of Oklahoma. Inside the meteorite was a lifeform, specifically referred to as the "ultimate" lifeform. Scientists who discovered him experimented continuously with his Chaos energy, believing it could usher in a new era for humanity. However, they eventually deemed it too dangerous. During an attempt by G.U.N. to secure Shadow, a terrible accident occurred that destroyed the lab and resulted in many fatalities. The project leader was blamed for the incident, leading to his imprisonment and the cancellation of the program. Convinced that Shadow was too dangerous to release but also too valuable to destroy, Walters decided to place him in stasis indefinitely on Prison Island.
The live show at the Chao Garden.
Sonic realizes that if Shadow spent 50 years in stasis, someone must have helped him escape. Walters agrees, but he points out that only a few people in the world are aware of Shadow's existence. A live show then begins with the Chao mascots dancing on stage, much to Tails' excitement, only for it to be cut short by an attack from several Drone Badniks, who destroy the table Team Sonic and Commander Walters were sitting at. As the civilians flee in terror, Sonic notices that they are the same robots previously used by Dr. Robotnik, who was assumed dead after his last defeat. A motorcyclist, whose face is concealed by his helmet, then crashes into the building, skidding to a halt in front of the drones. One of them attempts to shoot him with a missile, which he easily dodges, causing it to blow up part of the restaurant behind him. He then disables the drones using a device on his wrist before riding away. Team Sonic then finds Commander Walters trapped beneath some rubble, which Knuckles lifts, revealing the commander to be badly injured from the attack. Before succumbing to his wounds, Walters gives Sonic a key to what he describes as the most powerful weapon G.U.N. has ever created, trusting only Sonic to keep it safe. Several trucks of G.U.N. troops then arrive at the scene, with Director Rockwell among them. Searching Walters' body, she notices that his launch key is missing and instead finds a photo of Team Sonic, leading her to believe that they had stolen it and that they could not be trusted.
Agent Stone brings Team Sonic to Robotnik.
Meanwhile, Team Sonic used parts of Chao costumes to disguise themselves and managed to sneak out undetected. Tails questioned why they were running from G.U.N. if they were supposed to be on the same side, but Sonic replied that they would not trust anyone until they had more information. Team Sonic chases down the mysterious biker, until the trio catch them at the docks. The motorcyclist removed his helmet to reveal himself as Agent Stone, much to Knuckles' surprise, as the echidna had referred to Stone as the "Goat Milker." causing Stone to mock him. Stone informed Team Sonic that he is not here to fight. Sonic and Tails demanded to know why he is here and why he had freed Shadow. However, Stone explained that the last thing they wanted was more super-powered hedgehogs running around, and that Robotnik had nothing to do with the attack. He then summons the Mecha Crab from the ocean and invites Team Sonic inside, where they find an overweight and unshaven Robotnik watching a telenovela, listening to music, and eating junk food. Stone and Team Sonic are here, with the team watching in disgust at how much Robotnik had let himself go. Sonic and Tails express their surprise at seeing Robotnik—who Sonic still refers to as "Eggman"—alive while also being disturbed by his disheveled appearance. However, the doctor dismisses their comments, not caring what they think he looks like. Stone informs Robotnik of an impostor using his technology, showing footage from the attack at the Chao Garden. Annoyed at having his persona and "precious babies" stolen, Robotnik cross-references the coordinates of each drone's energy spikes in order to track down the impostor's base of operations. In order to get closer to finding Shadow, Team Sonic reluctantly decides to team up with Robotnik, but not before he makes Sonic hand over one of his quills, reinvigorating him with a burst of its Chaos energy. With the alliance formed, Robotnik has Stone shave his head and help him make his suit fit.
Shadow meeting Maria Robotnik for the first time, in 1974.
Meanwhile, Shadow is seen walking through an abandoned G.U.N. facility in the mountainside when he comes across an old roller skate, causing him to reminisce on his late friend, Maria Robotnik. The scene shifts to a period from 1974, during which she is seen roller skating through the then-active facility while carrying a box of her personal belongings. A guard tried to stop her as she approached the laboratory, but Walters, who was a captain at the time, allowed her to enter due to her being granddaughter of Professor Gerald. Walters told Maria where her room was while asking her to take her skates off. Shortly after, Maria came across a room containing the capsule where Shadow was being held for research. Hesitantly approaching the capsule, Maria tried to touch it, only for Shadow to suddenly turn around and glare at her. Although taken aback at first, Maria playfully glared back before drawing a funny face on the capsule to amuse herself. Upon seeing Shadow calm down a little, Maria put her hand on the capsule, and Shadow put his hand up to meet hers. From this point, the two formed a close friendship, enjoying various activities together such as dancing, skating, and watching a movie. However, during the latter, Shadow became upset due to the appearance of a monster that was referred to as an "alien freak". Later on, Maria took Shadow up to a field outside the facility, where they watched the stars. Maria commented on their beauty while explaining that it can take hundreds of years for the light of a star can to reach Earth, and that the star itself may no longer exist by the time people are able to see it. This prompted Shadow to wonderingly comment that "the light shines, even though the star is gone". Maria wondered which star Shadow came from, although he had no memory of his home. Maria responded by telling Shadow that Earth is his home now. Shadow asked Maria if she thought he was dangerous like that movie monster was, as he could tell that the scientists thought so from the way they looked at him. Maria told Shadow that he was her friend, and that he could be whoever he wanted to despite his powers and origins. Shadow, now reassured, took her hand gratefully and they both continued gazing at the stars.
Team Sonic, Robotnik and Stone arrive at the abandoned base.
The scene returns to 2024, Shadow arrives at the now-destroyed room where he first met Maria, silently grieving until he notices Gerald behind him. The professor greets Shadow, having known he would come "home". Shadow tells Gerald he is unable to stop thinking about Maria as the pain from losing her is overwhelming, which Gerald states is the reason they must punish those who took Maria's life. Around the same time, Robotnik, Stone, and Team Sonic arrive at the base via a Ring. Robotnik tries to figure out a way to open the door, only for Knuckles to break it down with a punch. Hearing their arrival, Shadow prepares for a fight, but Gerald tells him these are the guests he was expecting and that they should give them a "warm welcome". As Team Sonic, Robotnik, and Stone walk into the base, Stone wonders what this place is. Sonic replies that it looks like a military base, but nobody has been here for years, leading him to wonder if it's haunted. This thought frightens Knuckles, who is uneasy at the mention of ghosts. Stone then asks Knuckles if he is afraid of ghosts, but Knuckles insists that nothing scares an echidna warrior. However, Sonic recalls Team Sonic's last movie night, where Knuckles was scared so badly while they were watching Casper that he grabbed Sonic and Tails' hands tightly in panic, causing both the hedgehog and the fox to spill their bowls of popcorn and scream in pain while trying to break free from Knuckles' grip, begging him to let go. Back in the present, Knuckles says that there is no such thing as a friendly ghost. Sonic and the others come across three separate paths and realize they need to split up to cover more ground. Not wanting to let Robotnik out of his sight, Sonic chooses the right pathway with him. Meanwhile, Tails and Stone head down the left, while Knuckles takes the middle alone. Knuckles attempts to keep his cool while navigating the tunnel, but is quickly caught by Shadow after the latter startles him. Meanwhile, Stone and Tails are walking through another tunnel, with the former admitting that he finds Tails adorable. Stone asks Tails what it is like being Sonic's assistant, wondering if he has a daily routine or any benefits, but Tails tells him that he and Sonic are actually teammates, with Sonic as the leader, Knuckles as the muscle, and Tails as the inventor. Tails explains that their team is made special by their unique roles and their bond as best friends, and asks Stone if he and Robotnik are the same. Despite not truly believing it himself, Stone tells him that they are indeed best friends. Shadow then appears from behind them and kidnaps them. Elsewhere, Sonic and Robotnik enter a room, and Sonic realizes from the items scattered about, including a photo of Shadow and Maria, that this was an actual home where people lived and that Shadow had a family. Sonic asks Robotnik if he has ever wondered what he would be like if he had a family to keep him from turning into a villain, although the doctor rejects this idea, stating that he never had a family and believing himself to be "undesirable to all possible genders". Sonic enters the room where Shadow used to be kept, only for the latter to ambush and knock him out.
Ivo Robotnik meets his grandfather.
While wondering where Sonic went, Robotnik comes across several of his stolen drones, prompting him to joyfully hug them. However, he is interrupted by the appearance of the "impostor" and activates the drones to threaten him. Despite this, the man simply praises Robotnik for his "magnificent creations" and explains that he borrowed them to lure Robotnik here and reunite their family. When Robotnik does not respond, the man removes his glasses and properly introduces himself as Gerald Robotnik, Ivo's grandfather. Despite noticing the uncanny resemblance between them, Ivo does not yet believe they are relatives and begins interrogating Gerald asking him many hard questions. After Gerald answers each question correctly, Ivo is convinced and hugs him, asking where he has been his entire life. Gerald tells him he has spent the last fifty years imprisoned, preventing him from contacting anyone. Gerald is about to tell Ivo why he brought him here, but Ivo retorts that he used his unparalleled intellect to track him down. Gerald counters that it was for the plan he concocted with his own unparalleled intellect, and leads Ivo to the spot where Team Sonic and Agent Stone are tied up in chains. As Sonic regains consciousness, he is horrified to see "two Eggmen" approaching him. Shadow confronts Ivo, referring to him as "the long-lost grandson." In response, Ivo calls Shadow "another stinking hedgehog." Team Sonic realizes that Gerald is the one responsible for Shadow's escape and the attack on Walters. Shadow then takes the key to G.U.N.'s superweapon from Team Sonic, claiming that he and Gerald intend to use it to reclaim everything G.U.N. has taken from them. Gerald presents a hologram of the superweapon, an orbital satellite called the Eclipse Cannon. He explains that he provided G.U.N. with this powerful weapon, the most advanced mankind has ever seen, in exchange for his freedom. The Eclipse Cannon is capable of delivering a precision strike anywhere on Earth. Gerald decides that their first target will be G.U.N. Headquarters (which is located in London), callously dismissing Sonic's warning about the innocent lives that will be threatened. He then informs Ivo that in order to fire the Eclipse Cannon, they need two keys, with the second key being locked away in G.U.N. Headquarters. Ivo agrees to join him, and they set off, accompanied by Stone aboard the Mecha Crab. Before they depart, Ivo sarcastically thanks Sonic for "inspiring" their adventure, as it ultimately worked out in his favor, further justifying Sonic's lack of trust in him.
The Mini Black Hole activates, consuming all matter within Shadow Base.
Sonic pleads with Shadow not to allow his pain to change who he is inside. However, Shadow coldly replies that he has spent fifty years reliving what G.U.N. did to Maria, and that this pain has shaped him into who he is today. He drops a small, marble-like device before teleporting away. Sonic is initially unimpressed by it, but it turns out to be a miniature black hole that is consuming all the matter in the base. It starts pulling Team Sonic in, but Knuckles grabs a rope with his teeth, holding them in place while Sonic uses one of Tails' rings to open a portal. Although it takes a while for the portal to actually open due to the ring bouncing off the surrounding debris, they manage to narrowly escape, ending up on a nearby cliff where they watch the last of the base being swallowed up by the black hole. Aboard the Death Crab, Ivo, believing Sonic to be dead, is impressed by how quickly Gerald managed to dispose of him. Gerald, in turn, assures him that there is nothing they cannot destroy together. Stone charts a route to G.U.N. Headquarters in London, informing the Robotniks that they will arrive in about four hours. Realizing that they are ahead of schedule, Gerald decides to take the opportunity to spend quality time with his grandson, much to Ivo's joy. Using virtual reality headsets, they enjoy a variety of recreational activities together, with Stone trying but failing to join in. He prepares lattes for them but ends up discarding them after seeing how much fun they are already having.
Sonic and the others devise a plan to infiltrate G.U.N. Headquarters.
Back at the Wachowski household, Tom and Maddie are enjoying their new hobbies and interests, geeting used to this. Suddenly, the place shake, as a ring portal opens in front of them and Team Sonic suddenly appears in the living room, asking for their help on a mission. Eager for excitement, Tom and Maddie immediately agree, having become bored without the rest of their family. Tails uses the Miles Electric to create a holographic simulation of G.U.N. Headquarters so they can devise a plan. Sonic initially thinks he can run across the water and into the base, but he quickly realizes this would get him incinerated by the energy shield. Tails explains that to disable the shield, they need to gain control of it by planting a USB drive in the server room, a task that will fall to Tom and Maddie. After that, Sonic will need to navigate through a laser hall to access the vault. However, G.U.N. has wiped all images and schematics of the vault from their database, leaving them unaware of its design and preventing them from using a ring to access it. Maddie suggests that the plan would work a lot better if Sonic could use the Master Emerald to transform into Super Sonic and obtain the key. Sonic, however, refuses, stating that the Master Emerald is far too powerful to be used again and that they made a promise to keep it hidden. As the only one who knows the Master Emerald's location, Knuckles asserts that as its guardian, anyone who attempts to take it for any reason will become a sworn enemy. Sonic reassures Tom and Maddie that this is the right decision, and they set off for London.
Team Robotnik arrives in London, England.
Around the same time, Team Robotnik arrives right outside G.U.N. Headquarters. Shadow, fueled by his desire for revenge, wants to quickly grab the key and destroy anyone in his way, but Gerald tells him to be patient and let him and Ivo handle it, promising the hedgehog that he will soon have his revenge on an unimaginable scale. Agent Stone provides the Robotniks with their bodysuits for the mission, and is instructed by Ivo to watch Shadow in the meantime while keeping the Mecha Crab hidden. While Ivo and Gerald set off, Stone invites Shadow into the Mecha Crab to have guac, to which Shadow responds, "revenge guac". Meanwhile, Sonic impatiently waits for his team to start the operation, complaining about waiting all day, though Tails points out they have only just begun. Tails asks for Tom, Maddie, and Knuckles' status, with all three in position and ready to proceed. Knuckles, who has taken position atop the Big Ben, is tasked with "breaking glass in case of an emergency", although he initially ignores the emergency part out of eagerness for the chance to punch something. In order to gain access into the headquarters, Tom and Maddie use Tails' hologram technology to assume the likeness of G.U.N. agents, with Maddie taking on Rachel's appearance. Tom critiques Maddie's initial enthusiasm as Rachel for being out of character, causing Maddie to immediately display the more aggressive attitude Rachel is known for. Tom responds that it is perfect and takes on the appearance of her husband Randall.
Maddie and Tom disguised as Rachel and Randall, respectively.
As Tom and Maddie approached the front desk of the headquarters, Tom, disguised as Randall, requested to have lunch upstairs with his wife. The agent at the front desk informed him that the facility was currently locked down and that only those with command-level clearance were allowed access. Tom quietly contacted Tails through the intercom, prompting the fox to realize that security had tightened following Shadow's escape. At that moment, Maddie, disguised as Rachel, stepped in and delivered an intimidating speech to the agent, threatening to have him fired if he did not comply. Yielding to her pressure, the agent allowed them to proceed. Once upstairs, they switched out of their holograms. Maddie transformed into Captain Rockwell and attempted to gain access to the server room using facial recognition. However, Tom noticed the real Rockwell approaching with several guards. After a tense moment, Rockwell walked past them, and they seized the opportunity to enter the server room. Tails guided Tom and Maddie to the location of the security server, while Sonic and Knuckles grew impatient, ready to carry out their part of the mission. Maddie inserted the drive, but it had no immediate effect, leading Sonic to question whether she had inserted it correctly. In a moment of inspiration, Tom suggested blowing on the drive before reinserting it, which successfully activated it. As Tails was about to shut down the outside sensors, Tom and Maddie noticed another USB drive next to theirs, this one with a giant mustache. Meanwhile, Tails detected two heat signatures moving toward the vault. It turned out to be the Robotniks, who were using the camouflage feature in their suits to sneak past the guards undetected. In the Mecha Crab, Shadow and Stone are watching La Última Pasión, the same telenovela Ivo was watching earlier. Shadow believes that Gabriella, the show's female lead, should kill Juan and, Pablo, the two men, competing for her love as she is not a prize to be won. Stone tells Shadow to lighten up, reminding him that they are about to rule the world. Shadow, however, replies that there will be nothing left to rule once they are done. This comment concerns Stone, causing him to ask what he and Gerald are up to. Meanwhile, Tails detects an outside signal from the Mecha Crab. He destroys it by flooding the sewer where it is concealed, resulting in both the Mecha Crab and Stone being washed away.
The Robotniks dance their way through the laser hall.
Meanwhile, the Robotniks arrive at the laser hall, where Gerald asks Ivo what their next move is. When Ivo unexpectedly pushes him into the lasers, Gerald initially panics and flails around. However, he soon realizes that his bodysuit is protecting him from the lasers. Ivo explains that he designed the suits to be impenetrable to lasers, but he was previously unsure if the design would work. After Gerald compliments Ivo on his cruelty and heartlessness, they begin to dance their way through the laser hall, demonstrating perfect synchronization and coordination in their movements. Outside, Tails notices that the Robotniks are nearly at the vault, prompting Sonic to take action despite Tails' warnings about the active traps. After quickly taking in the sights of London, Sonic approaches G.U.N. Headquarters, with his friends telling him that he isn’t going to make it. At the last moment, just before he collides with the barrier, Tails grabs him and gives him a boost, allowing Sonic to get inside unharmed. Having arrived at the vault, the Robotniks watch as the doors open, revealing to them a room with the Eclipse Cannon key at the center. When Sonic arrives behind them, they make a run for the key, only to be pinned to the floor by an artificial gravity trap. Sonic taunts them and attempts to grab the key himself, but is caught in a similar trap that causes him to float in the air. Director Rockwell arrives and explains that the vault is armed with variable gravity, with green panels containing reduced gravity while the red panels have the opposite effect. Sonic attempts to warn Rockwell about the Robotniks' plan but she disregards him, still under the impression that Sonic wants to steal the key. A group of G.U.N. soldiers then enter the vault, having captured Tom, Maddie, and Tails. Tom and Ivo briefly exchange insults but are interrupted by Rockwell, who plans to arrest all of them. However, Sonic takes the opportunity to call in Knuckles, who glides toward the headquarters at high speed, using the Flames of Disaster to break through the barrier and into the vault, the impact of which knocks the gravity control device out of Rockwell's hands. Sonic tells Knuckles to disable the gravity trap, but he breaks the device instead, causing the gravity in the vault to go haywire and send everyone in different directions. Sonic is pinned to the floor while a large piece of debris starts to collapse above Tom, Maddie, and Tails, who are also stuck on the other side of the vault. Rockwell attempts to reach the key while floating in the air, pushing her way past soldiers until she and the key suddenly fall to the ground, with Ivo right across from her. As they both slowly inch toward the key, Sonic, still under the effects of the red gravity panel, uses his Chaos energy to build up enough strength to launch a Spin Dash, destroying the debris and saving Tom, Maddie, and Tails. At the same time, the gravity in the vault returns to normal, causing everyone who was floating, including Knuckles, to fall back down. Rockwell grabs the key before Ivo can and walks out of the vault, prompting Tom to follow her.
While disguised as Commander Walters, Tom is assaulted by Shadow.
As Rockwell retreats down the hallway, she encounters Tom, who is disguised as Commander Walters and wearing an arm cast. He thanks Rockwell for keeping the key safe and asks her to hand it over. Although she is initially suspicious, Rockwell does not question his authority and gives him the key. Tom then asks her to organize the reinforcements. After getting out of sight, Tom reverts to his normal self and informs the others that he has the key before taking on Walters' appearance again. At that moment, Shadow suddenly breaks in through the roof. Enraged at the sight of Walters, Shadow strikes him with a Chaos energy-fueled punch, immediately knocking him out. As he picks up the Eclipse Cannon key, Shadow discovers that Walters was actually Tom in disguise. Sonic then arrives to inform Tom that the others have cleared the building, only to see Tom's unconscious body lying in front of Shadow. Horrified, Sonic rushes to him and desperately pleads for him to wake up. This scene reminds Shadow of his own reaction to Maria's death. Sonic then turns to Shadow, angrily demanding to know what he did. In response, Shadow simply says he did what he had to before teleporting away. Maddie, Tails, and Knuckles soon arrive, all crouching worriedly over Tom's body.
The Eclipse Cannon takes flight.
Back in the vault, Ivo and Gerald find themselves surrounded by G.U.N. soldiers as they try to get back on their feet. Suddenly, Shadow appears and swiftly defeats all the soldiers. He hands Gerald the second key before teleporting the three of them aboard the Eclipse Cannon. While Ivo admires the design of the station, Gerald reveals a pair of new suits he has crafted for both of them, causing Ivo to squeal with excitement. Ivo crawls over and begins to kiss Gerald's feet affectionately. Meanwhile, Agent Stone slowly emerges from the river as the Mecha Crab sinks behind him. He calls Ivo to inform him about Shadow's earlier comments, implying that Gerald may not have been completely honest with them. Ivo interprets Stone's remarks as jealousy toward the bond between him and Gerald, leading him to fire Stone for his insolence. However, Ivo decides to keep Stone around until he is "successfully cloned." Stone pleads with Robotnik, expressing his reluctance to lose him again, but Ivo hangs up and blocks Stone, leaving him to sadly give up. Gerald then hands Ivo the two keys. Ivo inserts them into the slot on the computer of the Eclipse Cannon, causing it to rise from the River Thames. Team Sonic, Maddie, Agent Stone, and the people of London all watch in horror.
Sonic demanding to know where the Master Emerald is.
Outside G.U.N. Headquarters, multiple police cars and ambulances arrive to assess the situation, accompanied by reinforcements from G.U.N. Tom is taken to an ambulance while Maddie follows closely behind. Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles watch sadly as the ambulance doors close and it drives away. Maddie turns to Sonic and reassures him that it’s not his fault. Despite Tails trying to comfort him by saying that Tom will be okay, an enraged Sonic responds that comfort is not what he needs right now. He insists that he needs to stop them, by any means necessary, brushes his and Knuckles' concerns off and decides to use the power of the Master Emerald. Knuckles immediately disagrees, reminding Sonic that the Master Emerald must never be used for vengeance and that they swore an oath to each other. Sonic insists that they are out of options and that he will do it alone if necessary. Knuckles tells him that his heart is being consumed by anger and that he is not in a suitable state to make decisions, with Tails adding that they are all upset about Tom. Still refusing to back down, Sonic gives Knuckles one last chance to reveal where the Master Emerald is located. As tension rises and it seems a fight may break out, Chaos energy crackling through both of their bodies, Knuckles finally relents. He states that part of their oath is to trust each other and that he will uphold this principle, even if Sonic does not. He reveals that the Master Emerald is guarded by a "fearsome warrior" and that Sonic will have to get through him. It is then revealed that Wade Whipple is the fearsome warrior guarding the Emerald and that he is using it as a hockey puck on the roof of the Green Hills Sheriff's Department. Sonic appears from a ring and tells Wade he is here for the Emerald. Wade refuses, feeling a sense of responsibility over protecting the Emerald. Sonic effortlessly takes the Emerald, leaving Wade to stand there and give up immediately, saying "Well, I tried." Sonic uses the Chaos Emeralds within it to transform into Super Sonic before flying to the Eclipse Cannon.
Shadow powering up the Eclipse Cannon with his Chaos energy.
Meanwhile, the Eclipse Cannon continues its ascent until it reaches outer space. News channels in London, Japan, and New York report on its appearance, as well as on the Robotniks who have taken control of it. Overlooking the Earth, Shadow asks Gerald if this is truly what Maria would have wanted. Taking advantage of Shadow's grief, Gerald responds that it is not about Maria's desires but rather what the world deserves. He urges Shadow to remember the significance of Maria in their lives and what the world stole from them. Gerald's words lead Shadow to reminisce about the past, specifically the day he lost Maria. At that moment, both he and Maria were sitting in their room when Gerald suddenly entered, informing them that they needed to escape because G.U.N. was trying to take Shadow away. The three of them fled down a hallway in the base, pursued by G.U.N. soldiers. One soldier aimed his weapon, but Walters tried to intervene, not wanting Maria and Shadow to get hurt, as they were just kids. However, the soldier fired anyway, hitting a nearby canister that caused a massive explosion. As Shadow recovered, he noticed Gerald kneeling over Maria, who had been killed by the blast. While they both grieved her death, the soldiers approached Shadow and Gerald to apprehend them. Back in the present, Shadow, filled with rage, starts to run furiously around the Eclipse Cannon's core. As he charges it at high speed, he infuses the core with his Chaos energy. Curious, Ivo asks Gerald what Shadow is doing. Gerald explains that Shadow is powering up the core by infusing it with Chaos energy, and the Eclipse Cannon is about to turn the Earth into a flaming pile of rubble, wiping out everything in a 25,000-mile radius, as well as the two of them. Ivo is confused by this revelation, as he had hoped that they would rule humanity together with their combined genius. However, Gerald, with a sense of nihilism, declares that humanity is a failed experiment. He believes that Ivo should understand this better than anyone, since he has been rejected by the world all his life. He goes on to tell Ivo that he has nothing down there nor anyone who cares about him. Ivo points out that he and Gerald are family and still have each other, but Gerald coldly disregards this, stating that he is "no Maria" and that the only way for him to give her life meaning is to destroy the world that took her from him. Shadow then informs Gerald that he is done, allowing the professor to prepare the firing sequence that would fully charge the weapon in ten minutes.
Super Sonic fights against Shadow to make him pay for hurting Tom.
Looking out the window, Shadow declares that Maria will soon receive justice. He then notices a bright streak of light approaching the cannon and wonders if G.U.N. is launching missiles at them. However, Gerald observes that the object is moving too fast. Ivo pulls out Sonic's quill from earlier and watches as it turns a golden yellow, leading him to realize that it's Super Sonic. Super Sonic goes through the window, he rams Shadow and takes him out of the station. Super Sonic tells Shadow that he hurt his family and that everything ends at that moment, Shadow tells him that this makes him understand his anger and the pain he has felt for 50 years and declares that Super Sonic also chose revenge. Sonic tells him that he is not like him to which Shadow tells him that they are going to see that. Sonic and Shadow start fighting and crash on Earth. Shadow hides in the dust from the impact and Sonic yells at him to show himself, calling him a coward. As if on cue, Shadow reveals himself and hits Sonic hard enough to knock the Chaos Emeralds out of him. Sonic and Shadow try to grab the Chaos Emeralds to use them against each other, but they both reach for them at the same time and simultaneously, transforming them into Super Sonic and Super Shadow. Sonic tries to hit Shadow, but Shadow easily blocks it and tells Sonic that he was right about everything ending at that moment.
Super Sonic and Super Shadow in battle.
The two hedgehogs start a brutal fight that takes them around the world while Ivo and Gerald observe from the Eclipse Cannon, unable to keep track of the hedgehogs' speed. Ivo distracts Gerald and attempts to stop his grandfather's plans, although Gerald uses his suit's nanotechnology to create a giant gauntlet and fight back.
Shadow at the mercy of Super Sonic.
Super Sonic and Super Shadow continue furiously exchanging blows until they end up in Cape Sounioun, Greece. Shadow asks Sonic why he is alone and questions him as a hero saying that he abandoned his friends and family to get revenge. Sonic warns Shadow not to mention his family, but Shadow goes too far and tells Sonic that he thought he cared about his family, especially Tom. Hearing his name, Sonic is overcome with rage and he hits Shadow with a blow so strong and powerful that it throws him into space. Shadow crashes against the Moon and returns to his normal form. Sonic appears, drags him against the lunar surface and immobilizes him. Sonic grabs Shadow to give him the final blow and Shadow tells him to end everything and destroy him, Shadow points himself in the chest and tells Sonic to hit him in the heart to kill him, but then Sonic remembers what Tom told him about he did not let his pain change him, which allows him to not make the same mistake as Shadow and let the pain and rage turn him into something he is not. Sonic frees himself from his rage, lets go of Shadow and returns to his normal form. Shadow is confused as to why Sonic is not taking his revenge after winning the battle, but Sonic tells him that there are no winners with revenge. Shadow looks at space and reminisces on the night he and Maria went stargazing, commenting that he has felt the pain of losing her for so long that it is all he knows. When Sonic reveals that he felt the same way after he lost Longclaw, Shadow asks if his pain eventually went away, which Sonic denies before explaining that with time he realized there was something stronger than the pain: his and Longclaw's love for each other. He tells Shadow that love is what he needs to hold onto, telling him that even though Maria is gone, his love for her will always remain. Shadow finally manages to free himself from the rage that blinded him for 50 years, at that moment, the sun starts to rise from behind the Earth and Shadow remembers what Maria told him, "The light shines, even though the star is gone", just as Sonic notices the Eclipse Cannon. Shadow blames himself for the problems he caused, realizing that he was so blinded by rage he thought he had no other choice. Sonic stands up, reminding him that he always has a choice, and offers his right hand to Shadow in a similar fashion to when he convinced Knuckles to fight for the greater good. Shadow accepts the kind gesture, with Sonic stating that the right choice is never easy to make, and that "when you really screw something up, you can't fix it on your own". With this, the two hedgehogs re-enter their super forms and, after a brief exchange of quips, set off together to stop the Eclipse Cannon.
Super Sonic and Super Shadow working together.
Meanwhile, Ivo and Gerald continue fighting, with both using their suits' nanotechnology to create weapons and appendages—such as those of a scorpion or mantis—to gain the upper hand. Ivo manages to cut off the left half of Gerald's mustache, but is knocked off the cannon's platform and left hanging off the edge. Gerald then notices Super Sonic and Super Shadow approaching via a camera feed, bringing him to the realization that Shadow has betrayed him. As such, he sends a horde of Gun Hunters to stop them, but they are no match for the hedgehogs and are easily destroyed. Ivo pleads with Gerald not to do this, but Gerald coldly taunts him and steps on his hand, causing him to fall into space. While Gerald celebrates and gloats, he fails to notice that Ivo was saved by Tails and Knuckles and is being carried back into the cannon. Using Super Sonic's quill, Ivo shocks Gerald from behind, the impact of which sends him flying into the Chaos energy reactor, instantly killing him as it electrocutes and disintegrates his body on contact. Ivo compliments his now-late grandfather's "bug zapper" as he blows on and discards the quill.
Super Sonic and Super Shadow hold back the Eclipse Cannon's laser.
Tails declares that the three of them have to stop the laser, and they all race to the console. While they cannot stop the laser, they can at least redirect its path, pulling on the levers with all their might to guide the thrusters into changing the laser's course. Outside, Super Shadow notices the laser is about to fire and asks where Super Sonic is; he finds him being chased by several GUN Hunters, asking for a hand. Shadow produces several Chaos Spears and destroys the horde with them, allowing them to proceed as Sonic tells Shadow to follow him. As the people on the Earth below watch (including, back in London, Agent Stone from the streets and Maddie from a hospital room as she keeps a still-unconscious Tom company), the Eclipse Cannon fires, but the Super hedgehogs race to block it with their bodies (with Shadow incredulous and annoyed that this was Sonic's plan to avert disaster and Sonic, seeing his point, pleading for someone to stop the "giant death ray"). While Tails, Knuckles, and Eggman continue to struggle moving the laser away from Earth, Sonic begins to strain, unable to handle the force of the laser for much longer. Fortunately, the laser is successfully redirected in time, and Sonic and Shadow are free to move out of the way, the former beginning to plummet to Earth after losing both consciousness and his Super form out of exhaustion.
Part of the moon is accidentally damaged by the Eclipse Cannon.
The laser just barely misses Earth, and Tails, Knuckles, and Ivo celebrate their victory (which Eggman immediately claims for himself), but are horrified as they watch it slice off a chunk of the moon instead (which Eggman blames Tails and Knuckles for). Tails, however, is further horrified to see Sonic's unconscious body falling to Earth, declaring that they have to save him. He asks Knuckles for a Ring; the echidna produces one, but warns that it is their last. The two race to an airlock, Tails asking Knuckles if he is "ready for some base of ball" as he clambers into the echidna's hand. Once the airlock opens, Knuckles positions himself so as not to be sucked into space before hurling Tails out, allowing the fox to get close to Sonic; however, as Tails grabs hold of him and prepares to throw the Ring, he struggles to stay conscious against the forces of atmospheric re-entry. Back aboard the Eclipse Cannon, Eggman stands alone as the Cannon begins to explode around him, only to be scared when Super Shadow teleports in, asking him what is happening. Eggman answers that the Cannon's reactor core is overloading and it will soon explode, bathing the Earth in radiation and rendering it uninhabitable. Shadow insists the two of them are not done and orders Eggman to stabilize the reactor long enough for him to push the Cannon safely away from Earth, stating that this is their last chance to do the right thing. Eggman agrees to the plan and wishes Shadow well (in Spanish) before the hedgehog teleports back out.
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Eggman delivers a final message to Agent Stone, acknowledging him as his friend.
Eggman heads to the center platform, which raises up to allow him to begin stabilizing the reactor with his gloves. As he does, he releases a miniature camera drone that records him as he begins a final livestream dedicated to Agent Stone, who watches it on a building's screen that Eggman has hacked into. The doctor declares that "if [he] can't rule the world, [he] might as well save it... for the one and only person who cared about [him]", all as a devastated Stone pleads with him not to do it. Meanwhile, Shadow takes off his Limiter Rings to unleash his full power, beginning to push the Eclipse Cannon away from Earth as fond memories of his time with Maria flood his mind. Ivo continues his message by admitting that Stone was not just a "sycophant" to him, but a "syco-friend", which touches the latter; he says that he will miss the agent's lattes with steamed Austrian goat milk, even adding "I love the way you make them" in a sentimental tone. Back in Earth's atmosphere, Tails finally passes out just before he can throw the Ring and save Sonic, letting go of both it and him, but Knuckles dives down towards them, managing to stay conscious long enough to finish what Tails started by tossing the Ring himself and grabbing his friends tightly as they fall into the resulting portal. Eggman finishes his message by imitating a robot as he often did and sarcastically stating, "It's been a real drag. Thanks for nothing." Simultaneously, Shadow shuts his eyes in acceptance as the Eclipse Cannon finally explodes into an celestial spiral of Chaos energy.
On Earth, Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles exit the Ring portal and land safely in a cornfield, all of them regaining consciousness. The trio looks up at the explosion in the sky as Tails mournfully notes that Shadow and Eggman sacrificed themselves to save the planet, with Sonic sadly repeating his earlier line of "You always have a choice", acknowledging his previously-self-serving arch-nemesis Eggman unexpectedly choosing to prioritize the Earth's protection over his own life. Sonic then turns to Tails and Knuckles and apologizes for abandoning them, saying they are the best teammates and friends he could ever want and asking for forgiveness. Knuckles in particular stares at him intensely for a few moments before warmly holding his fist up for a power bump, showing he accepts the apology by asking, "Team Sonic?" Sonic speeds in to hug him instead and includes Tails in the hug not long after, suggesting that they should just call themselves "team". Back in London, Stone looks up at the explosion himself, bidding Eggman a final goodbye before turning to walk off into the night.
The trio resumes their race from earlier.
Some time later, in the same forest outside Green Hills where the Wachowskis had their last camping trip, they go on another adventure. As Maddie and Ozzy sit nearby, Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles decide to create a giant s'more using various food items. Tails calls out to a tent, announcing that it's ready, but when he turns around, he finds that Sonic and Knuckles have already eaten it. Sonic blames Knuckles for the mishap, even though he is equally responsible. Tails then informs the tent's inhabitant that they need to be faster. A mostly-recovered Tom emerges from the tent with his left arm in a sling. He insists that he is "still moving a bit slow," and the family gathers for a hug, which causes some discomfort for the injured sheriff. Knuckles declares that he is "having the love", in response to which Ozzy barks, "I want the love," and joins the hug. Tails mentions how great it is to have everyone together again, and Knuckles adds that their bond is stronger than ever. Sonic concludes that nothing will stand in their way, except for a piece of "unfinished business". Soon, Team Sonic line up for a more proper race, gleefully blasting off into the forest. Tails, in particular, activates his backpack-mounted jetpack to keep up with his faster friends.
Amy Rose saves Sonic from Metal Sonic and his copies.
After sunset turns to night, Sonic stops in his tracks, celebrating his victory and declaring himself the family champion. However, he quickly realizes that Tails and Knuckles have not joined him yet. As he looks around, he notices a sign reading "New York State Park" and sheepishly admits that he is in New York by "overshot the finish line". Unbeknownst to him, a crackle of electricity forms not far behind. A robotic hedgehog figure resembling Sonic emerges from the electric field, charging its arm cannon as it stomps toward him. Sonic starts to wonder how he will get back. The robot raises its arm and fires, creating a large electric explosion that destroys the sign and leaves a substantial crater where Sonic once stood. Nonetheless, the hedgehog quickly re-emerges behind his robotic doppelganger, asserting that the robot "better not miss" when dealing with "the fastest creature in the universe". He punches the robot hard enough to spin its head around, though it soon recovers. Now more aware of the robot's appearance, Sonic comments that he is "flattered by the cosplay", but points out some mistakes. However, he concedes that it is "hard to copy perfection". At that moment, several differently-colored variants of the robot emerge from the woods, surrounding the two. Caught off guard by the horde as they fly in to attack, Sonic is relieved when a hammer appears out of nowhere, smashing the variants to pieces. The hammer then flies into the hand of a hooded figure in midair, who swings it down onto the last remaining variant as they land on the ground. Sonic, shocked by this unexpected entry, asks who they are. In response, the figure turns to him, slings the hammer over their shoulder and lifts their hood, revealing the face of a pink female hedgehog who confidently smiles at him.
Elsewhere, in a desert on Earth, one of the discarded Limiter Rings lies in a crater as Shadow, who is still alive, steps closer and reclaims it from the sand and moves on starting a new life.
Cast
English 
| |
|---|---|
| Role | Actor/Voice actor |
| Sonic the Hedgehog[24] | Ben Schwartz |
| Miles "Tails" Prower[24] | Colleen O'Shaughnessey |
| Knuckles the Echidna[24] | Idris Elba |
| Shadow the Hedgehog[25] | Keanu Reeves |
| Dr. Robotnik Gerald Robotnik[1][26] |
Jim Carrey |
| Tom Wachowski[24] | James Marsden |
| Maddie Wachowski[24] | Tika Sumpter |
| Agent Stone[24] | Lee Majdoub |
| Rachel (likeness only) | Natasha Rothwell |
| Randall Handel (likeness only) | Shemar Moore |
| Commander Walters[24] | Tom Butler |
| Young Captain Walters | James Wolk |
| Maria Robotnik[24][27] | Alyla Browne |
| Director Rockwell[28] | Krysten Ritter |
| Wade Whipple | Adam Pally |
| Kyle Lancebottom[24] | Jorma Taccone |
| Gabriella[24] | Sofia Pernas |
| Pablo and Juan[24] | Cristo Fernández |
| Rockwell's Assistant | Reggie Banigo |
| Police constable[29] | Richard Sutar |
| 1970s US soldier[30] | Robert Clarkson |
| Police officer[31] | Guy Robbins |
| G.U.N. soldier[32] | Tunde Salami |
| Special agent[33] | Kevin C. Platinum |
| Kathleen "Kat" Harvey (footage) | Christina Ricci |
Japanese 
| |
|---|---|
| Role | Voice actor |
| Sonic the Hedgehog | Taishi Nakagawa |
| Miles "Tails" Prower | Ryō Hirohashi |
| Knuckles the Echidna | Subaru Kimura |
| Shadow the Hedgehog | Toshiyuki Morikawa |
| Doctor Ivo Robotnik Gerald Robotnik |
Kōichi Yamadera |
| Tom Wachowski | Yūichi Nakamura |
| Maddie Wachowski | Marina Inoue |
| Agent Stone | Daiki Hamano |
| Rachel (likeness only) | Kozue Saitō |
| Randall Handel (likeness only) | Shunsuke Sakuya |
| Commander Walters | Ikuya Sawaki |
| Young Captain Walters | TBA |
| Maria Robotnik | Aoi Yūki |
| Director Rockwell | Akeno Watanabe |
| Wade Whipple | Oolong Yoshida |
| Kyle Lancebottom | Nakatani Kazuhiro |
Undisclosed roles
Easter eggs and references
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and its trailers contain the following Easter eggs and references:
- The film's logo is based on the logo for Sonic Adventure 2.
- In Knuckles' promotion, Sonic the Hedgehog 3's logo was paired with that of the "& Knuckles" portion of the eponymous video game's logo, adding onto the recurring "& Knuckles" joke. The image would read "Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles".
- Shadow and Knuckles' promotional artwork is based on their artworks from Sonic Adventure 2.
- Many Youtubers received a special Sega Genesis cartridge in order to promote the movie. The Sega Genesis was the console that the original Sonic the Hedgehog 3 released on.
- The box art for this game was a recreation of the original Sonic the Hedgehog 3's box art, except with Knuckles alongside Sonic and Shadow hiding in the bush.
- If players punched in a cheat code for the original Sonic the Hedgehog 3, they were shown a teaser announcing when the second trailer would be released.
- Several promotional posters pay homage to various Christmas movies. These include:
- Home Alone.
- National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.
- Love Actually.
- Elf.
- The Grinch.
- Four Christmases.
- The Nightmare Before Christmas.
- Die Hard.
- Scrooged.
- A Christmas Story.
- Sonic wears Ralph Parker's big geeky glasses in this poster. This might be a homage to a manga series where Sonic has an alter-ego named Nicky that also wears big geeky glasses.
- One TV spot shows Sonic and Shadow leaping past each other in the same pose as in intro from Sonic Adventure 2: Battle.[40]
- They also do the pose in their Super forms during the final battle.
- They also do the pose in the credits.
- They also do the pose on the official Twitter account's post to commemorate the movie being the #1 movie in the United States for its debut weekend.
- To commemorate the film becoming the #1 movie in America for its debut weekend, the official Instagram account for the films posted a recreation of the Sonic Adventure 2 box art, which serves as the page image.[41]
- Nearly all of the track titles on the film's soundtracks are named after bits of dialogue from (or are otherwise related to) Sonic Adventure 2, Sonic CD, Sonic Adventure, Sonic Rush and Sonic Rush Adventure.
- The song Live and Learn plays several times throughout the movie:
- A rendition of the song plays during several trailers.
- Maria plays it during Shadow's dream sequence.
- The song acts as the leitmotif for Shadow's theme.
- Five renditions of the song play during the finale.
- Shadow was being held in a Prison Island, which is a location in Sonic Adventure 2.
- In the security room of Shadow's stasis tank there is a small model of a Gun Hunter on the guard's desk.
- The same robots later appear during the finale.
- During his prison break, Shadow thwarts GUN soldiers in a similar manner to how he defeated the Black Arms in the opening cutscene of Shadow the Hedgehog.
- As Team Sonic prepares for their race, there is a shot of Tails swishing his tails in a similar manner to the opening animation of Sonic Mania.
- Sonic trying to win the race he said "It's a bird. It's a plane. It's Air Hedgehog". This is the reference to the title of the musical "It's a Bird... It's a Plane... It's Superman" which is based on Superman.
- Sonic saying himself is Air Hedgehog also a reference to Michael Jordan's nickname and he makes a basket, just like Michael does.
- The race at the beginning of the film has Sonic spinning through a fallen log, which is similar to the opening to Sonic CD.
- The race ends with Sonic running past a spinning sign board for a goal post, just like in the first three games.
- Tails and Knuckles' holograms tap their feet to trick Sonic is a reference to Sonic's idle animation in multiple games.
- When Sonic realizes that he actually won the race, the classic level clear jingle that debuted in Sonic 3 & Knuckles plays in the background.
- The Bearthday celebration surprise is similar to the surprise party for Sonic's birthday at the start of Sonic Generations.
- Shadow gets surrounded by the G.U.N in the Shibuya Scramble Crossing, much like how Sonic got surrounded by G.U.N. Soldiers in Central City in Sonic Adventure 2.
- Other billboards promote Chaos Soda and Sub Burger and showcase the "got ring?" slogan, references to the advertisements seen in Sonic Adventure 2.
- There is a billboard that showcases the film Chao in Space, which is a reference to a fictional film series first seen in Sonic Adventure. The billboard also gives the date 6.23, which is the date of Sonic's canonical birthday in video games as well as original Sonic the Hedgehog's release.
- Rockwell refers to Sonic and his friends as "Team Sonic", a term that was coined in Sonic Heroes.
- Knuckles keeps trying to rename the team "Team Knuckles", just like he did in the Sonic Boom episode, It Wasn't Me, It Was the One-Armed Hedgehog.
- Sonic mentions Godzilla and Hello Kitty when preparing to first meet Shadow.
- Sonic saying "Talk about low budget flights, no food or movies, we're outta here." before he, Tails and Knuckles were about to airdrop into Tokyo from a G.U.N helicopter is a reference to a near-identical line quoted by Sonic during the Hero Story opening cutscene from Sonic Adventure 2 just before he also disembarks from a G.U.N helicpopter ("Talk about low budget flights, no food or movies... I'm outta here!").
- As Team Sonic lands in Shibuya, they briefly go into the "flight formation" from Sonic Heroes.
- In the first scene where Team Sonic meets Shadow, the camera starts off constantly showing him at an upward angle (showing his superiority above Sonic), just like the camera work of his first appearance to Sonic in the games.
- Shadow also stands atop the wreckage of some G.U.N. vehicles, much how his game counterpart did upon some defeated G.U.N. robots.
- At the beginning of their first encounter, Sonic and Shadow get into a confrontation about why they look like each other. This may be a reference to their first boss fights back in Sonic Adventure 2 where the both of them call each other "faker".
- Shadow's pose after teleporting and right before he grabs Knuckles' hand is similar to his render from Sonic 06.
- During the same scene, one of the billboards has an image of a mysterious woman who would later be revealed as Professor Victoria.
- One may see an advertisement for Chaos Soda and Sub Burger from Central City in Sonic Adventure 2.
- Shadow performs a drop kick on Tails, akin to his Shadow Rocket attack in Sonic Battle. He also performs a move similar to the Shadow Eagle attack.
- When Shadow has finished decimating Team Sonic, the way Sonic tries to stagger to his feet before collapsing in front of Shadow is almost shot for shot the way he does the same during the opening movie of the Shadow the Hedgehog video game.
- Shadow then proceeds to steal a motorbike and a gun from the G.U.N. soldiers, which he also has in Shadow the Hedgehog.
- When Shadow slides up Tokyo Skytree, he does the iconic "Akira Slide" from the 1988 anime movie of the same name produced by TMS Entertainment.
- When Sonic regains consciousness after the first fight in Tokyo, he says "1.21 gigawatts" which is a reference to Back to the Future, where the DeLorean time machine has to be powered by the said amount of gigawatts to travel in time.
- Coincidentally, Christopher Lloyd who plays the character Emmett "Doc" Brown in the film, voices Pachacamac in the Knuckles series.
- Team Sonic meets up with Commander Walters in a restaurant named the Chao Garden, which is a location that first appeared in Sonic Adventure.
- The lead singer of the Chao band resembles Cheese.
- The chao to the lead singer's right resembles a Neutral/Fly/Fly chao which in of itself resembles NiGHTS. Said chao is also wearing a sombrero and maracas similar to those of Amigo.
- The restaurant's logo is based on Tiny Chao Garden's logo in Sonic Advance.
- The restaurant is decorated with Parrots, Chao Eggs, Chaos Drive lamps, Hero Fruit mochis and a Television.
- A child mistakes Tails for Detective Pikachu, which is a reference to the title character of the movie of the same name.
- Chao mascots sing the song, I Want You Back, by Jackson 5 in Japanese.
- Shadow's backstory in which he fell to Earth in a meteorite with no memory of his past life is similar to the arc he went through in Sonic Heroes and Shadow the Hedgehog where he suffered from amnesia after falling to Earth at Sonic Adventure 2's ending.
- The meteor itself strongly resembles the Black Comet from Shadow the Hedgehog.
- Robotnik has been hiding out in Mecha Crab, a reference to Badnik Crabmeat.
- Robotnik's music playlist displayed on board the Mecha Crab list real-life songs, which include:
- A cover of "La Bamba" by Ritchie Valens.
- "Livin' la Vida Loca" by Ricky Martin.
- "Macarena" by Los del Río.
- "Mas Que Nada" by Jorge Ben.
- "Samba de Janeiro" by Bellini.
- A cover of "Take on Me" by Reel Big Fish.
- "Tequila" by The Champs.
- "The Cup of Life" by Ricky Martin.
- One of the insulting nicknames that Sonic calls Robotnik is "Robuttstink", which is similar to the name "Robuttnik" that originated in the three DiC shows.
- The mountain that housed Project Shadow's lab resembled Artesonraju, the mountain used for the Paramount logo.
- Maria draws a bunny face with a bowtie on Shadow's capsule which could possibly be a reference to one of Sonic's concept designs.
- The outfit that Maria wears during her introduction resembles her outfit from the games, with a 70s update.
- Her pajamas resemble her game counterpart's outfit too.
- Shadow and Maria watch a horror movie about a rampaging giant space alien, which has a very strong resemblance to the Biolizard.
- This causes Shadow to worry about other people treating him like "the monster from the movie". This is nod to his connection to the Biolizard in the games: the Biolizard was the original "prototype" of the Ultimate Lifeform, and Shadow's failed predecessor.
- Shadow and Maria stargaze in a field, which is very similar to a daydream Shadow has in Dark Beginnings.
- Knuckles is shown to be afraid of ghosts, which might be a reference to the Boos that Knuckles and the others fight in Sonic Adventure 2.
- Gerald drew his calculations for the Eclipse Cannon on his cell, much like he did for his revenge plot in Sonic Adventure 2.
- In the same scene, a chalk drawing of E-105 Zeta can be seen.
- When Shadow and Gerald hear Team Sonic, Stone and Robotnik enter the facility, Shadow briefly poses like his idle animation Shadow Style from Sonic Battle.
- Before Shadow prepares to kill Team Sonic with a mini black hole, Sonic tries to dissuade him by saying he does not have to be like this. Shadow replies, "This is who I am," which he says in Shadow the Hedgehog at the end of each main story routes.
- During the bonding montage between Robotnik and Gerald, the two visit Eggmanland, which is a location in the game series.
- The piano rendition of the Green Hill Zone theme returns from the first film.
- While planning to break into G.U.N. HQ in London, Tom and Maddie refer to themselves as "Mr. and Mrs. Smith". This a reference to spy movie of the same name.
- When Maddie suggests simply having Sonic turn into Super Sonic to save the day, she brings a Competition Mode character select screen hologram from Sonic Mania.
- When Sonic gets bored waiting for his part in the operation to start, he does the E-Rank pose from Sonic Unleashed and when Sonic loses Elise after Egg Carrier destroy alongside with her from Sonic 06.
- The sound effect used for the buttons that allow Tom and Maddie to change their appearance is the same as that of opening the pause menu in Sonic 06.
- When Tom (disguised as Randall) awkwardly salutes "Aye-aye, Captain!" to Director Rockwell, Maddie retorts to him if it is Popeye.
- Tom blows into the USB to get it to work, stating it was "a trick from the 90's", which is a reference to both the decade Sonic released and the cartridges the games came on.
- The scene where Shadow watches La Última Pasión and proclaims that Gabriella is not a prize to be won was confirmed in the commentary by Jeff Fowler to be a reference to an internet meme that says that Shadow loves Latinas.[42]
- Sonic sightseeing in London before breaking into GUN headquarters contains several references:
- He walking on the road is recreate to The Beatles' Abbey Road cover. Sonic also says band members' names (except Ringo).
- When Sonic enters on Buckingham Palace, he says "Which way to Hogwarts?", which is a reference to Hogwarts, a boarding school of magic for young wizards from Harry Potter franchise.
- When Sonic runs around London, he temporarily dressed like a royal king. This is possibly a reference to a birthday-specific costume where he wears a king's outfit with a red cape and crown (Sonic Speed Simulator specifically calls this outfit Birthday King Sonic), which is visually similar to the one he wears while running through London.
- When Sonic runs around London and launches off Tower Bridge a brief rendition of Escape from the City plays.
- The same song also splices in a rendition of Fist Bump from Sonic Forces.
- Sonic tells Shadow to "follow me", which is a lyric from said song, and is said in a similar vein.
- Tails chucks Sonic through the force field in a similar manner that his game counterpart does in the Sonic Mania opening.
- When Sonic catches up with Robotnik and Gerald at the G.U.N. HQ, he makes the same pose when he takes damage in classic Sonic games when he runs into the wall.
- He then composes himself by making the pose he makes on the Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut cover.
- Robotnik wears an outfit that resembles his game counterpart's current outfit.
- Robotnik's ringtone is E.G.G.M.A.N., which is Eggman's theme in Sonic Adventure 2.
- One of the songs in the movie's soundtrack is named "E.G.G.M.E.N." in reference to this song.
- A rendition of the song also plays when Gerald notices that Super Sonic and Shadow have teamed up.
- Robotnik inserting the second GUN key closely resembles the Mega Drive, the console Sonic appeared on.
- When the Eclipse Cannon rises, a rendition of Dr. Eggman's theme from Sonic 06 plays.
- Knuckles names Wade Whipple a "fearsome warrior" after training him throughout Knuckles.
- When Sonic goes Super Sonic, he strikes the transformation pose from Sonic the Hedgehog 2.
- During the worldwide news broadcast of the Eclipse's Launch, the Japanese reporter refers to Ivo as Eggman, most likely as a nod to that originally being his only name in Japan.
- When the Eclipse Cannon's metallic moustache was setting up, it had the same sound as when the Eclipse Cannon was opening in Sonic Adventure 2.
- When Robotnik is trying to convince Gerald not to destroy the Earth, he strikes a similar pose to one his game counterpart does during his announcement to the world in Sonic Adventure 2.
- Shadow knocks the Chaos Emeralds out of Super Sonic like Knuckles did during his introduction in Sonic the Hedgehog 3.
- When Sonic and Shadow lunge for the Chaos Emeralds to go super, they make a similar pose to Sonic and Knuckles lunging for the Master Emerald on a poster for Sonic the Hedgehog 2.
- When Super Shadow blocks Super Sonic's strikes is very much resembles to Neo in fighting with Agent Smith after he becomes "The One" from The Matrix.
- One of the locations that Super Sonic sends Super Shadow to is Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt, which might be a reference to Hidden Base, Eggman's pyramid base from Sonic Adventure 2.
- Super Sonic giving Super Shadow a hard beating is similar ability to Windmill ability from Sonic Battle.
- Robotnik punches Gerald Robotnik in the throat, telling him he left himself open. He punched Stone in the stomach and said the same thing in Sonic the Hedgehog.
- Robotnik references the 2011 movie, Green Lantern.
- Gerald in turn mentions Comic Con.
- Before the final battle, Sonic and Shadow both grab each other by the hand, powering up to their Super forms is a reference to their animation after defeating Finalhazard in Sonic Adventure 2.
- During Robotnik and Gerald's battle, Gerald uses his machines to give himself scorpion claws and a tail to fight against Robotnik is very similar to Scorpius, first boss from Sonic Spinball.
- Robotnik uses a pair of praying mantis claws much like to Badnik Slicer.
- Gerald does a scooter like move just like Eggman in Sonic CD when you watch the scenes in D.A. Garden or the ending scenes.
- Robotnik falls off one of the catwalks of the Eclipse Cannon and dangles off of it, which is similar to how Rouge did during her boss fight with Knuckles on the Space Colony ARK in Sonic Adventure 2. Another similarity is that they are both rescued by Knuckles. The only difference is that Tails helps out in the film, while Knuckles rescues Rouge by himself in Sonic Adventure 2.
- When Robotnik fakes his death, the way he falls resembles how Eggman faked his death in Sonic Lost World.
- Super Sonic and Super Shadow attempt to stop the cannon's laser from striking Earth, whereas they try to stop the ARK from falling to Earth in Sonic Adventure 2.
- When struggling to stop the Eclipse Cannon's laser, Super Sonic says, "Can't... hold... much... longer...." which is one word off from an "Open Your Heart" lyric.
- In trying to stop the laser, Sonic loses his super form and plummets to Earth. This also happens to Shadow in Sonic Adventure 2 instead.
- The scene where the moon gets destroyed is almost a shot for shot remake of the same scene from Sonic Adventure 2.
- Knuckles throwing Tails towards Sonic is very similar to his Fire Dunk attack from Sonic Heroes.
- Robotnik makes an announcement to the world, much like he does in Sonic Adventure 2. But unlike the game, he announces that he is going to save it.
- Shadow takes off his Limiter Rings to help push the Eclipse Cannon away from Earth, which is similar to how he did it at the end of his campaign in Sonic 06.
- Sonic and Knuckles have this conversation about their status as a team where Sonic says, "How about just team?" This possibly a reference to Boom Sonic's same quote in the final cutscene from Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric.
- During the scene where Team Sonic is standing in the cornfield, as well as the scene after in which they go camping, a rendition of the track "The Last Scene" from Sonic Adventure 2 can be heard.
- The end credits feature polygonal Sega Saturn-esque models for the characters.
- Team Sonic's models are introduced doing their animations from the character select screen of Sonic Adventure.
- Their models, as well as Shadow's, are rendered in a style very similar to Sonic the Fighters, Sonic Jam and Sonic R.
- When the Robotniks dance, they swing from side to side, which is a dance that Dr. Robotnik did in the first film.
- Amy Rose and Metal Sonic debuting together in the mid credits scene is quite fitting, considering that they debuted together in the same game, Sonic CD, as well.
Production
Development
Prior to release of the second Sonic film, Patrick Casey and Josh Miller revealed in an episode of Kellen's Petty Talk Show on 5 April 2021 that they expressed interest in making a third Sonic movie, going as far as to mention that there was an Eggman scene cut from the second film for the sake of flow that they would want to re-add to the third movie.[43] The film was eventually announced on 15 February 2022 at the ViacomCBS Investors Connect day, two months before the release of Sonic the Hedgehog 2.[22][44]
On 13 May 2022, writers Pat Casey and Josh Miller made guest appearances at a comic book convention hosted by Klamath Community College, where they answered questions from fans about the movies they had written for and been involved in. On the topic of Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Casey and Miller were asked on what plotlines they were interested in adapting into it, and they expressed interest in potentially drawing inspiration from Sonic Adventure 2 and Shadow the Hedgehog. In response to a question on Shadow the Hedgehog's planned voice actor for the film, Casey and Miller would state that they intended to have a big movie star voice Shadow, and had a specific person planned for the role, although they had not heard back from him in regards to his acceptance of the role. In response to whenever Amy would be in the film, Casey and Miller said that her inclusion "was in the works". Another question asked whether "Live and Learn" could potentially be used in the climax of Sonic the Hedgehog 3, to which Casey and Miller replied that there was a "decent chance" of such a thing, adding that the producers were aware of fan support for Crush 40 to be featured in the film, and that the band's involvement had been discussed.[45]
In response to a question on the release date of Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Casey and Miller stated they were expecting for it to be released in roughly two years.[45] On 8 August 2022, the film was eventually announced for an official release on 20 December 2024.
On 25 May 2023, Pat Casey confirmed that the writing for the film had been finished at some point prior to the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike, an event which started on 2 May 2023.[46]
Johnny Gioeli, lead singer of Crush 40, has teased a bit about the band's involvement within the movie.[47] It was later revealed by him on 4 February 2024 that Paramount Pictures has secured the legal rights to use "Live and Learn" in the movie.[48]
On 17 April 2024, Idris Elba revealed in an interview with the site Collider that he can tease nothing absolutely nothing and that the film would have Easter eggs "for all of the die-hard fans".[49]Additionally, he said that Jim Carrey's an incredible actor.[50]
Casting
Shortly after the release of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Jim Carrey announced that he is considering retirement from acting, but comments that he may return, "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."[51] In response to a question on Jim Carrey's involvement in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Patrick Casey and Josh Miller replied that the movie was currently still in its "blue sky" phase of development, where they were considering all the possible ways the movie could be, while trying to find how it should be, and that Carrey's involvement was unknown at the time.[45] Ben Schwartz, the voice actor for Sonic the Hedgehog, had hoped for Carrey to reprise his role in the third film, while producers Neal Moritz and Toby Ascher expressed that they would not recast Dr. Robotnik should Carrey proceed with his retirement plan.[52]
On 2 February 2024, it was revealed that Jim Carrey will reprise his role as Dr. Robotnik.[1] In addition to other reprising actors (Ben Schwartz, Colleen O'Shaughnessey, Idris Elba, James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, Lee Majdoub and Tom Butler), new cast members were also revealed to appear in the film with undisclosed roles: Krysten Ritter, Alyla Browne, James Wolk, Sofia Pernas, Cristo Fernández and Jorma Taccone.[24]
On 16 February 2024, Alyla Browne revealed on her Instagram that she would be portraying Maria Robotnik, which many fans had speculated this prior to the announcement.[53]
On 15 April 2024, it was reported that Keanu Reeves would be voicing Shadow the Hedgehog in the movie, many fans had speculated this prior to the announcement.[54]
Filming
As a result of the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, filming of animated characters began in September 2023.[55] On 14 March 2024, James Marsden confirmed in an interview with The Playlist that the filming for the movie had been finished shortly prior.[56], with Jeff Fowler officially confirming the statement on Twitter on 29 March.[57]
On 21 February 2024, Ben Schwartz posted a selfie of him with script on Twitter stating that he begun recording his lines,[58], completing on 3 May 2024.[59]
Music
The film's soundtrack artwork.
The first teaser for the film was given a short cinematic remix of "Live and Learn", the main theme of Sonic Adventure 2, by Crush 40.[60] The first official trailer was given an orchestral cinematic remix of Green Hill Zone, before another cinematic remix of "Live and Learn" appearing.
An original song performed by Jelly Roll, titled "Run It", was made for the film and was used during the first end credits. The soundtrack, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (Music from the Motion Picture), was released alongside the film on 20 December 2024 on digital and physical format.
A few songs, that originated from the games within the Sonic the Hedgehog series, were intergrated into the original score; "Jingle: Act Clear" from Sonic the Hedgehog 3, "Escape from the City", "Live and Learn" and "Event: The Last Scene" from Sonic Adventure 2, and Dr. Eggman's theme from Sonic 06. "Live and Learn", in particular, being used the most, as well as given a small orchestrated remix utilizing original vocals by Johnny Gioeli titled "Live and Learn (Junkie XL version)". In addition, "E.G.G.M.A.N." was featured briefly in the film as Robotnik's ringtone. Jon Batiste's piano performance of "Green Hill Zone", previously used in the ending of the first film, was also used. Other featured songs in the film included:
- "99 Red Balloons" by Goldfinger
- "Neon" by One Ok Rock
- "I Want You Back" by Folder (Jackson 5 cover)
- "Lollipop" by Tempura Kidz
- "Firestarter" by The Prodigy
- "End of the Line" by Traveling Wilburys
- "Wouldn't It Be Nice" by The Beach Boys
- "London Town" by Mr Eazi
- "Galvanize" by The Chemical Brothers
- "Habanera" by George Bizet
- "Bongoru" by Noro Morales
Marketing
On 29 November 2023, a picture revealing Shadow the Hedgehog's legs and shoes were released to the internet, alongside with a clipboard that showed the new and then-current logo of Sonic the Hedgehog 3.[61]
On 2 February 2024, the logo of the movie was revealed by Paramount Pictures on YouTube.[1]
A short trailer for the movie was shown behind closed doors at the annual CinemaCon presentation,[62] followed by CineEurope 2024 held in Barcelona, Spain.[63] The public release of the trailer was scheduled for 27 August 2024. This was teased between 25 and 26 August via light projections of Sonic, Shadow and Dr. Eggman icons across multiple US cities, as well as London, Frankfurt, Rome,[citation needed] Tokyo and Sydney.[64]
A poster with Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and a close-up view of Shadow was on display during the 2024 Licensing Expo held in Las Vegas.[65]
On 21 November 2024, Paramount Pictures distributed a special Sega Genesis cartridge to content creators to promote the film and celebrate the release of advance tickets on 25 November 2024. The cartridge includes an emblem display teasing the release date of the film's second trailer for 25 November 2024.
In the months leading up to the film's release, several companies announced their line of merchandise for the film. New collaborations were established: Sneakers by Reebok[66], food items by Jones Soda[67]. Companies that maintained their licenses from previous installments include:
- Plushies and accessories from Build-A-Bear Workshop[68]
- Action figures from Jakks Pacific[69]
- Publications from Penguin Books
- McDonald's toys[70]
Other promotional events where the film serves as the theme include:
- Public running events organized by local cinemas in France[71], Malaysia[72] and Mexico.[73]
- Create The Card Competition - An age-rating card competition organized by the British Board of Film Classification, held between 8 September and 22 November 2024.[74]
Like the previous films, the film received promotions in Sonic Dash and Sonic Forces: Speed Battle, both of which added Shadow and Super Shadow as new playable characters and added new tracks based on a location from the film.
Release
In Japan, the film was released on 27 December 2024 with the original name Sonic X Shadow TOKYO MISSION (ソニック × シャドウ TOKYO MISSION Sonikku × Shadō TŌKYŌ MISSHON?).
Reception
Box Office
As of 3 March 2025, has grossed $235.6 million in the United States and Canada, and $250.4 million in other countries the world over, giving a total of $486 million worldwide.[75]
Within a month of the film's release, as of 20 January 2025, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 grossed more than $422 million globally, quickly surpassing its predecessor's.[76]
In the United States, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 released the same day as Mufasa: The Lion King, and alongside Kraven the Hunter. Despite the competition, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 was projected to run $55 million to $60 million at the box office from 3,800 North American theaters, surpassing Mufasa domestically, but not globally.[77] The film managed to earn over over $62 million domestically on its opening weekend, as projected surpassing Mufasa.[78] Sonic the Hedgehog 3 continued to remain the higher grossing film domestically up until the middle of February, but not internationally.
The film reached exactly 3,761 locations on its opening weekend, with it estimated $16,485 per screen. The film was over-indexed in the major markets of NY, Houston, Balitmore, LA, Orlando, Montreal San Antonio, Las Vegas, Detroit, and Fresno; with its #1 location being AMC Burbank. But, it ended up under-indexing in Boston, Toronto, Minneapolis, Denver, and Montreal. Despite the $62 million opening weekend, it was notably shorter than Sonic 2's start of $72 million, the reason speculated to be due to the severe cold weather. 59% of the viewers were male, whereas 41% were female, with 46% of the people attending being in a family (Sonic 2 had 59% families); overall the film had 54% of ticket buyers made up of general audiences. The film's demographics showed 39% of viewers were Caucasian, 34% Hispanic, 17% African American, 5% Asian, and 5% other; being comprised 61% of multi-culture.[79]
Critical Response
The film received mixed to high praise depending on the outlet. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported an 86% approval rating based off 138 reviews, becoming the first film in the series to receive the "certified fresh" label. The site's critical 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."[80] Metacritic gave the film the weighted average score of 56% based on 26 critical reviews, giving it an average score.[81]
Many critics praised the choice to give Jim Carrey double roles. A.A. Dowd of IGN gave the film an average score, but praised Jim Carrey's double roles, "In Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Carrey has finally found a scene partner who can match his freak. It’s… Jim Carrey."[82] Glenn Kenny of The New York Times also praises the film's inclusion of Jim Carrey playing two roles, "It’s hard to settle on what’s more bombastic: Carrey’s admittedly virtuoso double act, or the teeming computer graphics gadgetry of death and destruction spilling out of every corner of the screen. However you choose to categorize this movie, you have to admit it’s a lot — up to and including a post-credits tease for the next picture in the franchise."[83] Christy Lemire of Rogerbert.com gave the film 2 and a half out of 4 stars, "The visual effects are impressively seamless, for the most part, in this live action-animation hybrid. Cinematographer Brandon Trost gives everything from forest chases to dance numbers a colorful sheen, befitting the lively material. (He also recently shot Marielle Heller’s “Nightbitch,” how’s that for range?) And composer Tom Holkenborg, better known as Junkie XL, returns with a score that’s knowingly melodramatic to punctuate all these adventures."[84]
Some critiqued the film's inconsistent tone. Brandon Collins of Medium Popcorn gives the film a 2/5, adding that, "This is a significant step down from the previous two films. I was surprised how uneven the comedy was and how dark in tone the film ended up being."[85] Phil Owen of Gamespot gave the film a 7/10 and criticized the plot, "The plot is messy and doesn't quite add up. For example: One major character, GUN director Rockwell (Krysten Ritter), positions herself as an antagonist but then bows out of the movie halfway through, and it's hard to tell what point there was in including her. But it's easier to overlook potential plot holes like that one this time out because the movie's tone is more controlled than the last one was."[86] Jesse Hassenger of Polygon labelled the film "Sloppy, speedy, great", going on to state, "Looking at it on paper, Sonic 3 depends on a series of ill-advised tonal swings. On one hand, the newly formed team of CG-animated aliens Sonic (Ben Schwartz), Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey), and Knuckles (Idris Elba) tees up some more half-assed Saturday-morning-ready lessons about the importance of teamwork when they’re recruited by a shadowy government agency for a world-saving mission. On the other hand, their dangerous opponent is Shadow (Keanu Reeves), essentially a dark version of Sonic, who has recently awakened from a 50-year stasis, ready to channel his grief and rage over the loss of a loved one into the full destruction of planet Earth. Then, on an inexplicable third hand, there is Jim Carrey, returning as the villainous Dr. Robotnik and also debuting Robotnik’s flinty grandfather, Gerald, acting like two maniacs for the price of one."[87]
Accolades
The film currently has not received any awards. Notably, the film was ineligible for the "Best Picture" award at the 2025 Academy Awards.
Regional differences
- Chao Garden is not mentioned by name in the Latin Spanish dub.
- When Agent Stone tells Dr. Robotnik that there is an "imposter" using his technology, he responds with the pun, "I'll soon egg-sack (exact) my revenge." This line is changed in the following dubs:
- German: "Er könnte mich verkackeiern" ("He could screw me over"). "Verkackeiern" ("screw") can be interpreted as a portmanteau of verkacken ("screw up") and eier ("egg").
- Italian: "Io ora esigerò la mia uovendetta" ("I will soon exact my vendetta"). The pun lies in the word uovendetta, a portmanteau of uovo ("egg") and vendetta ("vendetta").
- Thai: ฉันมองออกจากไข่แล้วไปแก้แค้น ("I'm coming out of my egg and taking revenge")
- When Commander Walters tells Team Sonic about Shadow's origins, he calls him "The Ultimate Lifeform" as in games. This is translated in the Latin Spanish dub as "El ser más evolucionado" ("The most evolved being"), omitting the reference.
- In the Latin Spanish dub, when Sonic wakes up after the battle with Shadow, he says "Ese golpe si me desconectó el Wi-Fi." ("That hit disconnected my Wi-Fi").
- When Sonic sees a masked rider crashing into Chao Garden, Sonic responds with the portmanteau "Konnichi-what?". This word play is not present in the Czech dub, with Sonic responding, "Who is that?".
- In La Última Pasión, a majority of the Spanish dialogs between Juan and Pablo are translated to the respective language medium for the Japanese, Polish and Thai dubs.
- While changing to his outfit on board the Mecha Crab, Dr. Robotnik addresses Agent Stone as "Tinker Tailor". This is translated to simply "tailor" in the Latin Spanish dub.
- All usages of the French language by the Robotniks are translated to English in the European and Canadian French dubs. Individual changes in the Canadian French dub include:
- The characters concluding, "Yes, I'm bilingual."
- Dr. Robotnik's line of "avec moi" ("with me") is changed to "The last one".
- In the third quiz question to Gerald Robotnik ("The speed of light divided by the speed of sound divided by the speed of the bus in the movie 'Speed'), the answer is given as "17,894 mph". This is converted to metric of various lengths:
- French (Canada): 10,940 kph
- French, Portuguese (Brazil) and Spanish (Latin America): 28,796 kph
- Ukrainian: 28,797 kph
- In the Brazilian Portuguese dub, the final quiz question to Gerald refers to the Portuguese dictionary instead of the English one, with the answer being read out in Portuguese.
- In the Latin Spanish dub, when Sonic says, "Somebody better call Google Maps" after escaping from the black hole, he instead says, "Nos van a odiar los de Google Maps" ("Google Maps are gonna hate us").
- When Maddie asserts getting rid of Tom's puppet, the puppet responds, "That's all in to get rid of you." This line is changed in the following dubs:
- German: "I told him not to get rid of me." Maddie then responds with "This will have repercussions."
- Spanish (Latin America): "You're creepier than I am."
- Ukrainian: "You're scarier than I am."
- Agent Stone invites Shadow back into the Mecha Crab to make guacamole. This is changed to other food items in:
- French (Canada): Nachos. Shadow then comments with "Nacho-vengeance".
- Thai: Salad
- Ukrainian: Tartar sauce
- When Randall (disguised by Tom) asks Rachel (disguised by Maddie) how he can be described, "Rachel" replies with "your head as swollen". This is changed in the Ukrainian dub as "narcissistic".
- Randall (disguised by Tom) does not address himself by his first name in the Latin Spanish dub.
- While infiltrating the G.U.N. hallways, Dr. Robotnik makes an announcement of "The Robotniks have entered the chat". In the European French dub, the salutation "Ladies and gentlemen" is included at the start.
- While speeding through the Buckingham Palace, Sonic calls, "Hello, guvnor, which way to Hogwarts?". Changes in dubbings include:
- Sonic uses the title "Your Majesty" instead of "guvnor" in the European French dub.
- The reference to Hogwarts is removed in the Latin Spanish dub and replaced with the simpler phrase, "Con permiso" ("Excuse me") with an English accent.
- In the Latin Spanish dub and Brazilian Portuguese dub, when Sonic found Tom on the ground and tries to wake him up, he calls him "Dad" in both dubs, which is something that most languages omitted.
- In the Latin Spanish dub, Robotnik calls his grandfather "Gran paso doble", and he sings, "Abuelito, dime tu" ("Grandpa, tell me"), referencing the opening of the anime, Heidi.
- Before cutting off contact with Agent Stone, Dr. Robotnik proclaims to Stone, "You and I are done, like a blackened catfish dinner". This line is changed in the following dubs:
- Czech: "Like the Beatles in the 1970s", referencing the timeline when the band dissolved.
- Portuguese (Brazil): "Like a cassette tape."
- Spanish (Latin America): "And just so you know, I never liked your lattes."
- Thai: "Like a perfect drama series."
- While defending against Gerald Robotnik, Dr. Robotnik uses the command: "Set up defense". This line is changed in the following dubs:
- French (Canada): Initier défense antivenin ("Initiate antivenom defense"), autocorrected to Initier défense antivoisin ("Initiate antineighbor defense").
- German: Versuch ihn im Zaum zu halten ("Attempt to keep him under restraint"), autocorrected to Versuch ihn im zaun zu halten ("Attempt to keep him under fence").
- Italian: Prepara una barriera ("Prepare a barrier"). After ending up with a fence, Robotnik responds, "Let's make it less fragile."
- Spanish (Spain): "Tengo que defenderme, vaya." ("I have to defend myself, gosh!"). "Vaya" (Spanish expression) rhymes with "Valla" (fence).
- Spanish (Latin America): "Más que defensa, es una ofensa" ("More than a defense, it's an offense") after ending up with a fence.
- In the Latin Spanish dub, when Super Shadow appears in front of him, Robotnik calls him "Insecto" ("Insect"). This term is a characteristic reference of Vegeta, from the Dragon Ball franchise, who is also voiced by René García. Additionally, Mario Castañeda, the voice of Goku, who is usually called "Insect" the most by Vegeta, is the one who returns the insult.
- When Dr. Robotnik says his final words to Agent Stone, he describes him as "more of a sycophant". This is changed in the Latin Spanish dub to "bootlicker".
Trivia
- In the second quiz question to Gerald Robotnik (European Capitals, arranged alphabetically by the fourth letter), Gerald said, "Riga, Monaco, Sarajevo, Tirana." However, the order meant to be Monaco, Riga, Sarajevo, Tirana, as R comes after M, not before. {That is an error, due to this wiki page not having an error section}
- The Japanese name of the film, Sonic X Shadow TOKYO MISSION, is a reference to the game Sonic X Shadow Generations.
- The announcement for the movie was likely a pun on Sonic 3 & Knuckles, as it was announced along with a spin-off series later titled Knuckles. The Paramount+ Facebook page even responded with a comment about this reference.[88]
- The US release date for this movie, 20 December 2024, is also the same date that Sonic Adventure 2: Battle was released for the Nintendo GameCube in Japan, in 2001. unknown if this is simply a coincidence, or an intentional choice, due to the movie drawing elements from said game.
- The film celebrates the 23rd anniversary of the game's re-release.
- The film's logo is based on the one from Sonic Adventure 2.
- Dr. Robotnik's chuckle from the title treatment reveal was taken from Sonic the Hedgehog 2 when he faces with Sonic in the Wachowskis' house.
- List of changes in voice cast for foreign dubbings:
- The following dubs introduce new voice actors for Shadow, who have no prior involvement in any Sonic games or media, but have lent voices for Keanu Reeves in foreign dubbings of other works:
- Czech: Michal Dlouhý
- French (France): Jean-Pierre Michaël
- German: Benjamin Völz
- Hungarian: Zsolt László
- Polish: Jacek Kopczyński
- Slovak: Rastislav Sokol
- Spanish (Spain): Sergio Zamora
- None of the voice actors for the Cantonese dub (except Sonic) reprised their roles from previous installments. The dubbing, however, sees the return of at least three voice actors who had previously worked in the Cantonese dub of Sonic X, albeit with no reprisals for their characters: Kate Cheng (Tails), Kenneth Chan (Shadow the Hedgehog) and Wing Shun Chan (Dr. Eggman).
- In the Czech dub, Zdeněk Maryška takes over the role of Commander Walters from Ladislav Županič, who passed away on 9 December 2023.[89]
- None of the voice actors for the Russian dub reprised their roles from previous installments, due to Paramount Pictures' suspension of operations in Russia in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. A licensed Russian-language dub was instead produced by Israeli dubbing studio SC Produb (credited as "Sharon Cohen Productions").
- The following dubs introduce new voice actors for Shadow, who have no prior involvement in any Sonic games or media, but have lent voices for Keanu Reeves in foreign dubbings of other works:
- Cristo Fernández, who plays the characters Juan and Pablo, reprised his roles in the Latin Spanish dub.
- The film has the first female characters from the video games to be introduced in the movie franchise. With those characters being Maria Robotnik and Amy Rose, with the latter debuting in the mid credits scene. It also features a billboard cameo of Professor Victoria, who was previously seen in TailsTube.
- Although not owned by Sega and Paramount, the 1995 Universal Pictures fantasy film, Casper, is seen during the movie night flashback sequence.
- There is a small, but noticeable continuity error in this film, regarding G.U.N. When Shadow first meets Team Sonic, he remarks that they "jumped from a G.U.N. helicopter". Yet, Commander Walters states in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 that G.U.N. was formed after the aftermath of Sonic and Robotnik's clash in San Francisco. This is further compounded by The Buyer, stating that he and Robotnik both worked for G.U.N. before it was called G.U.N..
- When Agent Stone revealed his identity to Team Sonic, Knuckles referred to him as the Goat Milker. This was the same nickname that Knuckles gave Agent Stone in Sonic the Hedgehog 2.
- This is the only film where Sonic does not say "Uh, meow?"
- It is also the only film where the Mushroom Planet and Olive Garden were not seen or mentioned.
- This film is set in 2024. In real life, the film was released on 20 December 2024. This makes Sonic the Hedgehog 3 the only film that was set in the same year that it was released.
- Knuckles' scream where he got his fist broken by Shadow, reacted to Casper in terror, entered to the G.U.N. department, and moved the Eclipse Cannon was reused from the Knuckles episode, "What Happens in Reno, Stays in Reno", where he saved Wade from The Buyer.
- Sonic's first adoptive mother, Longclaw, did not make a physical appearance in this film. However, she was mentioned a few times. She was also seen in a drawing that Sonic drew.
- Wade had less screentime in this film, and none of the characters (excluding Sonic) interacted with him.
- Sonic the Hedgehog 3 marks the only time that Tom does not wear a hat or punch anyone. It also marks the only time that he does not fight or interact with Dr. Robotnik during the final battle (due to the fact that he was hospitalized).
- When Maddie disguised herself as Rachel, her hair had the same style that Rachel had in the first film.
- Tom and Maddie's house did not get destroyed in this film. The first film shows their house getting damaged by Dr. Robotnik's drone, and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 shows Knuckles making huge holes in the walls.
- Just like Sonic, Tails referred to Dr. Robotnik as Eggman. However, the only time that he referred to him as Eggman was when he was talking to Agent Stone about his and Dr. Robotnik's friendship.
- Just like in the Knuckles TV series, Dr. Robotnik's first name, Ivo, is mentioned in this film. This marks the second time Dr. Robotnik's first name gets mentioned in the Sonic Cinematic Universe. Also, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is the only film where Dr. Robotnik's first name gets mentioned.
- There is a bit of foreshadowing in the film. When Tom disguised himself as Commander Walters, he was wearing a cast, so that he could trick Director Rockwell into thinking that he was still alive, and that his arm was still recovering from the Badniks' attack. At the end of the film, Tom was wearing a cast because his arm was still recovering from Shadow's attack.
- Unlike the first two films, the characters did not reference the Sanic meme or do the floss dance.
- If counting Maddie's disguise, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 might be the only film where Rachel appears without her daughter, Jojo.
- In this film, Commander Walters and Agent Stone interact with Sonic, which is something that they did not do in the first two films.
- This film marks the first and only time that Sonic meets new characters in the mid credits scene instead of during the main events of the film or in a future sequel.
- It is the first and only film that has an after credits scene.
Videos
International trailers
TV spots
Clips
Miscellaneous
See also
Notes
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Lang, Brent (2 February 2024). Jim Carrey Returning for 'Sonic the Hedgehog 3' (EXCLUSIVE). Variety. Retrieved on 2 February 2024.
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (French). Cineman. Retrieved on 28 May 2024.
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (German). kino.de. Retrieved on 28 May 2024.
- ↑ Paramount Pictures Spain (@paramount_spain) on Twitter. Twitter (29 November 2023). Retrieved on 27 January 2024.
- ↑ SONIC 3 - LA PELICULA (Spanish). Paramount Pictures Mexico. Retrieved on 28 May 2024.
- ↑ Sonic 3: O Filme | Trailer Oficial | DUB | Paramount Pictures Brasil (Portuguese). Paramount Brasil on YouTube (27 August 2024).
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog 3. Hoyts Cinemas. Retrieved on 28 May 2024.
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog 3. Golden Screen Cinemas. Retrieved on 14 May 2024.
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog 3 จัดเต็มเรื่องอีสเตอร์เอ้กแน่นอน ไอดริส เอลบา รับประกันเอง (Thai). Major Cineplex (18 April 2024). Retrieved on 14 May 2024.
- ↑ Соник в кино 3 — Русский трейлер (Дубляж, 2024) (Russian). Kinoman on YouTube. Retrieved on 29 August 2024.
- ↑ Siil Sonic 3 (Estonian). Viimsi Kino. Retrieved on 29 August 2024.
- ↑ Soniks 3: Filma (Latvian). Forum Cinemas. Retrieved on 29 August 2024.
- ↑ Ežiukas Sonic 3 (Sonic the Hedgehog 3) (Lithuanian). Multikino. Retrieved on 29 August 2024.
- ↑ Digioia, Alessandro (27 August 2024). Sonic 3 esce a gennaio al cinema: lo scontro tra Sonic e Shadow è al centro del primo trailer del film (Italian). IGN Italy. Retrieved on 27 August 2024.
- ↑ [수퍼 소닉3 가장 위험한 존재, 섀도우] (Korean). Paramount Pictures Korea on YouTube (13 December 2024). Retrieved on 14 December 2024.
- ↑ SONIC 3 Η ΤΑΙΝΙΑ (Sonic The Hedgehog 3) - trailer (μεταγλ) (Greek). VillageGR on YouTube (29 August 2024). Retrieved on 29 August 2024.
- ↑ Paramount Pictures India on Twitter (14 December 2024). Retrieved on 14 December 2024.
- ↑ Stolarz, Kuba (27 August 2024). „Sonic 3: Szybki jak błyskawica”: Keanu Reeves jako Shadow na pierwszym zwiastunie (Polish). CD-Action. Retrieved on 28 August 2024.
- ↑ 电影《刺猬索尼克3》定档预告 (Simplified Chinese). IGN China (10 December 2024). Retrieved on 14 December 2024.
- ↑ Paramount Pictures Philippines on Facebook (27 November 2024). Retrieved on 7 December 2024.
- ↑ KİRPİ SONIC 3 (Turkish). UIP Türkiye. Retrieved on 10 June 2024.
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 Paramount+ (@paramountplus) on Twitter. Twitter (15 February 2022). Archived from the original on 15 February 2022. Retrieved on 15 February 2022. "Paramount+: #SonicMovie3 is officially in development from @ParamountPics and @SEGA! Plus, next year a new original #Knuckles series with @IdrisElba is coming to #ParamountPlus. #SonicMovie2 hits theaters April 8!"
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog 3 at an AMC theatre near you. AMC Theatres. Retrieved on 20 November 2024.
- ↑ 24.00 24.01 24.02 24.03 24.04 24.05 24.06 24.07 24.08 24.09 24.10 24.11 Bankhurst, Adamn (2 February 2024). Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Adds Krysten Ritter, Cristo Fernández, Alyla Browne, and More. IGN. Retrieved on 2 February 2024.
- ↑ Couch, Aaron (15 April 2024). Keanu Reeves Joins 'Sonic 3' as Shadow. Retrieved on 15 April 2024.
- ↑ Jim Carrey Returns in Multiple Roles in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Trailer. SuperHeroHype (27 August 2024). Retrieved on 28 August 2024.
- ↑ Alyla Browne on Instagram (16 February 2024). Archived from the original on 16 February 2024. Retrieved on 16 February 2024.
- ↑ SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 3 Stills And Official Synopsis Showcase Keanu Reeves' Game-Accurate Shadow. GameFragger.com (27 August 2024). Retrieved on 27 August 2024.
- ↑ Richard Sutar. Casting Callback. Retrieved on 14 May 2024.
- ↑ Robert Clarkson. Casting Callback. Retrieved on 14 May 2024.
- ↑ Guy Robbins. The Mandy Network. Retrieved on 26 August 2024.
- ↑ Tunde Salami. Casting Callback. Retrieved on 26 August 2024.
- ↑ Kevin C. Platinum. The Mandy Network. Retrieved on 26 August 2024.
- ↑ Thomas Reed. Casting Callback. Retrieved on 14 May 2024.
- ↑ Maggie Leung. StarNow. Retrieved on 26 August 2024.
- ↑ Mariko Nishino. The Mandy Network. Retrieved on 26 August 2024.
- ↑ Paste Magazine. Archive (5 April 2024). Retrieved on 8 April 2024.
- ↑ Animation Magazine. Archive (April 24 2024). Retrieved on April 30 2024.
- ↑ "The Creative Forces Behind 'Knuckles' Give Us the Scoop on the Paramount+ Series". Animation Magazine (April 24 2024). Retrieved on April 30 2024.
- ↑ Sonic Movie on X. X (22 December 2024). Retrieved on 22 December 2024.
- ↑ Error on call to Template:cite web: Parameters url and title must be specified. . X (22 December 2024). Retrieved on 22 December 2024.
- ↑ Russell, Bradley (29 January 2025). Sonic 3 director's commentary reveals how the movie secretly brought the unlikeliest of Shadow memes to life. GamesRadar+.
- ↑ Episode 27 - Pat Casey and Josh Miller (Sonic the Hedgehog). Kellen's Petty Talk Show (5 April 2021). Retrieved on 16 April 2021.
- ↑ Kroll, Justin (15 February 2022). 'Sonic The Hedgehog' Universe Continues To Grow As Sega And Paramount Sign Off On Third Film As Well As A 'Knuckles' Spin-Off Series In The Works At Paramount+ With Idris Elba Reprising Role. Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 16 February 2022. Retrieved on 15 February 2022.
- ↑ 45.0 45.1 45.2 KCC Comic Con 2022: Q&A with screenwriters Pat Casey & Josh Miller. YouTube (25 May 2022). Retrieved on 25 May 2022.
- ↑ Pat Casey on Twitter. Twitter (25 May 2023). Retrieved on 25 May 2023. "Pat Casey: We finished writing before the strike"
- ↑ Johnny Gioeli (@Crush40Johnny) on Twitter. Twitter. Johnny Gioeli (@Crush40Johnny) (2 February 2024). Retrieved on 4 February 2024.
- ↑ Sonic City | Sonic News, Media, Community (@soniccitynet) on Twitter. Twitter. Sonic City | Sonic News, Media, Community (@soniccitynet) (4 February 2024). Retrieved on 4 February 2024. "BREAKING: We have confirmation from the Johnny himself that Crush 40 will be in third movie in some way!"
- ↑ https://www.vg247.com/sonic-3-is-for-all-the-real-diehard-fans-says-idris-elba
- ↑ https://collider.com/sonic-3-idris-elba-knuckles/
- ↑ Klein, Brennan (1 April 2022). Jim Carrey Says He's Retiring from Acting After Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Screen Rant.
- ↑ Hermanns, Grant (8 April 2023). "That Is My Hope Of All Hopes": Sonic 3's Jim Carrey Return Addressed By Star. Screen Rant.
- ↑ alylabrowne on Instagram (16 February 2024).
- ↑ Couch, Aaron (15 April 2024). Keanu Reeves Joins 'Sonic 3' as Shadow. Retrieved on 15 April 2024.
- ↑ Tabbara, Mona (8 August 2023). UK crews in crisis as SAG-AFTRA strike thwarts production: "Is the UK industry really our own?". Screen Daily. Retrieved on 9 August 2023.
- ↑ Michael Keaton & James Marsden Discuss Knox Goes Away, Batman, Deadpool, Sonic & More. YouTube (14 March 2024). Retrieved on 14 March 2024.
- ↑ Jeff Fowler (@fowltown) on Twitter. Twitter. Jeff Fowler (@fowltown) (9 March 2024). Retrieved on 17 May 2024.
- ↑ Ben Schwartz (@rejectedjokes) on Twitter (21 February 2024). Retrieved on 10 May 2024.
- ↑ Hermanns, Grant (3 May 2024). How Sonic The Hedgehog 3 Pulls From Iconic 2001 Game Teased By Ben Schwartz. Screen Rant..
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog (@SonicMovie) on Twitter. Sonic the Hedgehog (@SonicMovie) (2 February 2024). Retrieved on 2 February 2024.
- ↑ Tinoco, Armando (29 November 2023). 'Sonic The Hedgehog 3' Teases First Look At Shadow. Deadline.
- ↑ Bankhurst, Adam (11 April 2024). First Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Footage at CinemaCon Revealed Shadow and a Down-on-His-Luck Robotnik. IGN.
- ↑ Tartaglione, Nancy (18 June 2024). Paramount Goes Epic At CineEurope With 'Gladiator II' Footage; Highlights 'A Quiet Place: Day One' & 'Transformers One'. Deadline.
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog 3 | Projections From Around the World. Paramount Pictures on YouTube (27 August 2024).
- ↑ @HollywoodHandle on Twitter. Twitter (23 May 2024). "First promo for 'SONIC 3' has been spotted."
- ↑ Reebok Collabs With Paramount With Official Sonic Movie 3 Sneakers. Sonic Stadium (22 November 2024). Retrieved on 9 December 2024.
- ↑ Jones Soda on Facebook (6 December 2024). Retrieved on 9 December 2024.
- ↑ Build-a-Bear's Sonic 3 Collection Includes Shadow and Returning Favorites [Updated]. Sonic Stadium (3 December 2024). Retrieved on 9 December 2024.
- ↑ JAKKS Pacific Announces New Global Agreement With SEGA of America for Sonic the Hedgehog 3. Business Wire (31 October 2023). Archived from the original on 31 October 2023. Retrieved on 31 October 2023.
- ↑ McDonald's Reveals New Sonic 3 Happy Meal Toys, Launching Next Month. Sonic Stadium (24 November 2024). Retrieved on 9 December 2024.
- ↑ Course 10KM Sonic Tour Eiffel - Sonic 3 - Le Film [Le 25 décembre au cinéma] (French). Paramount Pictures France on YouTube (20 December 2024). Retrieved on 22 December 2024.
- ↑ cineinformacion on Instagram (Spanish) (25 July 2024).
- ↑ SCORE Experience on Facebook. FaceBook (17 July 2024).
- ↑ BBFC's Create The Card Competition 2024. British Board of Film Classification (8 September 2024). Retrieved on 20 November 2024.
- ↑ https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt18259086/
- ↑ https://screenrant.com/sonic-3-vod-digital-release-date-confirmed/
- ↑ "Paramount’s “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” is projected to claim a leading $55 million to $60 million from 3,800 North American theaters in its debut, while Disney’s “Mufasa: The Lion King” should be trotting close behind with $50 million from more than 4,000 venues. “Sonic” doesn’t open at the international box office until Christmas Day, so “Mufasa” will have free rein over global charts. The “Lion King” prequel is pacing to add an additional $130 million overseas for a promising global start of $180 million."https://variety.com/2024/film/box-office/sonic-the-hedgehog-3-mufasa-lion-king-box-office-opening-weekend-projections-1236251797/
- ↑ Box Office: ‘Sonic 3’ Bounds Over the Hedge With $62M Opening, ‘Mufasa’ Limps to $35Mhttps://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/sonic-hedgehog-3-box-office-mufasa-lion-king-1236092438/
- ↑ https://www.boxofficepro.com/weekend-box-office-sonic-the-hedgehog-3-rolls-over-mufasa-in-pre-holiday-showdown/
- ↑ 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. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/sonic_the_hedgehog_3
- ↑ https://www.metacritic.com/movie/sonic-the-hedgehog-3/critic-reviews/
- ↑ In Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Carrey has finally found a scene partner who can match his freak. It’s… Jim Carrey. https://www.ign.com/articles/sonic-the-hedgehog-3-review-jim-carrey-ben-schwartz-james-marsden-idris-elba
- ↑ "It’s hard to settle on what’s more bombastic: Carrey’s admittedly virtuoso double act, or the teeming computer graphics gadgetry of death and destruction spilling out of every corner of the screen. However you choose to categorize this movie, you have to admit it’s a lot — up to and including a post-credits tease for the next picture in the franchise." https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/19/movies/sonic-the-hedgehog-3-review.html
- ↑ "The visual effects are impressively seamless, for the most part, in this live action-animation hybrid. Cinematographer Brandon Trost gives everything from forest chases to dance numbers a colorful sheen, befitting the lively material. (He also recently shot Marielle Heller’s “Nightbitch,” how’s that for range?) And composer Tom Holkenborg, better known as Junkie XL, returns with a score that’s knowingly melodramatic to punctuate all these adventures. " https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/sonic-the-hedgehog-3-jim-carrey-film-review
- ↑ https://www.mediumpopcorn.com/episodes/sonic-the-hedgehog-3
- ↑ https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/sonic-the-hedgehog-3-movie-review-a-delightful-change-up/1900-6418326/ "The plot is messy and doesn't quite add up. For example: One major character, GUN director Rockwell (Krysten Ritter), positions herself as an antagonist but then bows out of the movie halfway through, and it's hard to tell what point there was in including her. But it's easier to overlook potential plot holes like that one this time out because the movie's tone is more controlled than the last one was."
- ↑ Looking at it on paper, Sonic 3 depends on a series of ill-advised tonal swings. On one hand, the newly formed team of CG-animated aliens Sonic (Ben Schwartz), Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey), and Knuckles (Idris Elba) tees up some more half-assed Saturday-morning-ready lessons about the importance of teamwork when they’re recruited by a shadowy government agency for a world-saving mission. On the other hand, their dangerous opponent is Shadow (Keanu Reeves), essentially a dark version of Sonic, who has recently awakened from a 50-year stasis, ready to channel his grief and rage over the loss of a loved one into the full destruction of planet Earth. Then, on an inexplicable third hand, there is Jim Carrey, returning as the villainous Dr. Robotnik and also debuting Robotnik’s flinty grandfather Gerald, acting like two maniacs for the price of one. https://www.polygon.com/review/498909/sonic-3-movie-review
- ↑ Paramount+ on Facebook. Facebook (15 February 2022). Retrieved on 15 February 2022. "Sonic Movie 3 is officially in development from Paramount Pictures and SEGA! Plus, next year a new original Knuckles series with Idris Elba is coming to Paramount+. Sonic Movie 2 hits theaters April 8!"
- ↑ Ježek Sonic 3 / Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (Czech). dabingforum.cz (20 November 2024). Retrieved on 23 December 2024.
External links
- Official website (English)
- Official website (Japanese)
- Official X page
- Official Facebook page
- Official Instagram page
- Official Instagram page (Japanese)
- Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (film) at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (film) at the Internet Movie Database
