Sonic the Hedgehog 4 (film)

Voice

• Ben Schwartz as Sonic the Hedgehog,^[3] an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog who can run at supersonic speeds
• Kristen Bell as Amy Rose,^[3] an anthropomorphic pink hedgehog who wields a large hammer
• Colleen O'Shaughnessey as Miles "Tails" Prower, an intelligent anthropomorphic yellow fox who can fly with his twin-tails and creates gadgets^[4]
• Idris Elba as Knuckles the Echidna, a hot-headed anthropomorphic red echidna warrior with super strength and the Flames of Disaster, a technique which allows his fists to burst into flames^[4]
• Keanu Reeves as Shadow the Hedgehog, an anthropomorphic red-striped black hedgehog that was part of a secret government program called Project Shadow. He possesses many abilities similar to Sonic.^[4]

Live-action

• Jim Carrey as Dr. Ivo Robotnik,^[4] a mad scientist and Sonic's arch-nemesis whom he often refers to as "Eggman"
• James Marsden as Tom Wachowski, the adoptive father of Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles, and the sheriff of Green Hills, Montana^[4]
• Tika Sumpter as Maddie Wachowski, Tom's wife, the adoptive mother of Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles, and the local veterinarian of Green Hills^[4]
• Lee Majdoub as Agent Stone, Robotnik's sycophantic assistant^[4]

Additionally, Ben Kingsley, Nick Offerman, Matt Berry, and Richard Ayoade will appear in undisclosed roles, with Kingsley and Offerman's roles being voices.^[4]

The character of Metal Sonic will appear in the film.^[5] It is currently unknown if anyone will be voicing Metal Sonic or if he will be a non-speaking character, as is the case in most of his appearances in other Sonic media.^[5][6]

Development

In September 2024, producer Toby Ascher stated that additional installments were planned for the Sonic the Hedgehog film series.^[7] In November 2024, it was revealed by director Jeff Fowler that Sonic the Hedgehog 3 would tease new characters to appear in a fourth film.^[8] Sonic the Hedgehog 3's mid-credits scene features Amy Rose saving Sonic by smashing an army of Metal Sonics.^[9] According to writers Pat Casey and Josh Miller, Amy had been considered for a larger role in the film, but was excluded so that the script could focus on Shadow the Hedgehog.^[10] In December 2024, the fourth film was officially greenlit.^[11] Fowler returned to direct, and Toku Nakahara, as well as Neal H. Moritz and Toby Ascher of Original Film returned to produce.^[12][3]

Later in December 2024, Casey and Miller expressed interest in taking Sonic on adventures to worlds beyond Earth.^[13][14] In January 2025, concept art for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 was released online by Tacit Sign Studio, including art depicting Amy and Metal Sonic in scenes either not present or significantly different in the final film.^[15][16] Though the art was later removed, its release fueled fan theories that Sonic the Hedgehog 4 would take inspiration from Sonic CD, which was the debut of both Amy and Metal Sonic in the games.^[16][17][18] In response to the speculation, Miller said it could not be openly discussed at that time as those elements may potentially appear in future films.^[19] Fowler acknowledged the connection to CD, saying that their simultaneous introduction was intended to "honor that chronology", but stated that the film's story would not be solely based on CD.^[6]

Casting

Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba, and Jim Carrey had expressed interest in reprising their roles from previous installments.^[20][21] In February 2026, Kristen Bell was cast as the voice of Amy, with Ben Schwartz returning to reprise his role as Sonic.^[12] In March, journalist Jeff Sneider indicated that Ben Kingsley was cast in "a key role".^[22] The rest of the cast was revealed later that month,^[4] including Nick Offerman in the voice cast; Offerman and Bell had previously appeared alongside Schwartz in the television series Parks and Recreation.^[23] Additionally, it was announced that Matt Berry and Richard Ayoade had also joined the cast in undisclosed roles.^[4]

Fowler stated in a January 2025 interview that someone could be cast as the voice of Metal Sonic, saying that although the character does not speak in most appearances, the possibility of the film version of the character having a voice was likely to be raised during the film's scripting process.^[6]

Filming

Principal photography began on March 2, 2026, with Fowler announcing it on social media by a picture of him holding Amy's hammer.^[5] Filming occurred at Shinfield Studios in Berkshire.^[24] Filming wrapped on May 15, 2026, as announced through Instagram alongside a photo of Fowler next to a Metal Sonic prop.^[25] Brandon Trost served as the film's cinematographer.^[26]

Theatrical

Sonic the Hedgehog 4 is scheduled to be released in the United States on March 19, 2027, by Paramount Pictures.^[27]

Marketing

A teaser trailer was released on March 19, 2026, featuring Jim Carrey reprising his role as Dr. Ivo Robotnik.^[28] Carrey's return was considered particularly notable, given a recent awards appearance that sparked conspiracies of cloning or impersonation, and the fact that Carrey variously mentioned retirement in the past.^[28][29] The Chaos Emeralds in the teaser,^[30] and the use of the "Sonic Boom" theme from Sonic CD were also subjects of commentary.^[28][29] Footage from the film featuring Carrey was showcased at CinemaCon in April 2026.^[31][32]