Shadow the Hedgehog is ready to step into the light, and the first trailer for Paramount’s highly-anticipated Sonic the Hedgehog 3 movie has unveiled an extended look at the edgy speedster. Making his debut on the big screen, the fan-favourite character voiced by Keanu Reeves is introduced as the antagonist, who’s so strong that Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles have to tap into a former foe for help: Jim Carrey’s Dr. Robotnik.
“Shadow’s story began a lot like yours, Sonic, but where you found family and friends, Shadow fond only pain and less,” says the narrator. It’s no wonder that he’s a ball of rage in the trailer, letting his punches fly and showing off his impressive battling prowess, defeating Knuckles with great ease. At one point, he executes the iconic Akira bike slide, with Dr. Robotnik’s father appearing at the end of the video. Surprise!
While story details remain under wraps, the threequel will explore new areas of the game universe created by SEGA. It serves as a sequel to both previous films and Paramount+’s Knuckles spin-off series, with the mid-credits scene in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 teasing the arrival of Shadow.
Jeff Fowler, who directed all three outings, is returning helm the feature. Alongside Ben Schwartz as Sonic, Idris Elba and Colleen O’Shaunghnessey are due to reprise their respective roles as Knuckles and Miles “Tails” Prower. James Marsden and Tika Sumpter will continue to portray Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles’ adopted parents, with Krysten Ritter, Sofia Pernas, Cristo Fernández, James Wolk, and Jorma Taccone cast in undisclosed roles.
In any case, there are big shoes to fill. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was a box office hit, becoming the highest-grossing video game film of all time in the States until The Super Mario Bros. Movie seized the throne with a global box office haul of more than US$1 billion. Both Sonic films have collectively earned over US$720 million worldwide.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 bows in theatres on 20 December.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
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