Keanu Reeves has signed on to voice the role of Shadow in Paramount Pictures‘ Sonic the Hedgehog 3. The ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ films are based on the Sega video game franchise. The live-action and animated movies follow Sonic, a blue hedgehog who can run at supersonic speeds. The original film, Sonic the Hedgehog, opened in 2020, while a sequel, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, was released in 2022.

Reeves joins an ensemble led by Ben Schwartz, who plays Sonic. In all three films, James Mardsen plays Sonic’s human ally, Sheriff Tom Wachowski, with Jim Carrey as the mad scientist Dr. Robotnik.

Per Deadline, the character of Shadow – first introduced in the video game Sonic Adventure 2 in 2001 – is a creation of Professor Gerald Robotnik, the grandfather of Sonic’s arch-nemesis, Dr. Robotnik. Possessing extraordinary speed, as well as Chaos Control, a power that allows him to manipulate space and time, he’s initially depicted as an antagonist to Sonic, though in the video games from Sega, he eventually becomes an ally.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is expected to open Dec. 20, 2024.

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