Sonic the Hedgehog 4 is officially in the can. Director Jeff Fowler announced that production has officially wrapped on the film.
Alongside the announcement, Fowler posted a behind-the-scenes photo showing himself seated in the director’s chair while holding a figure of Metal Sonic, the robotic villain teased at the end of the third film.
The post doubled as fans’ first real look at the character. “And that’s a wrap on #SonicMovie4!!!” Fowler wrote, adding, “On behalf of this amazing cast/crew, we have filmed the BEST Sonic Movie yet and can’t wait to share.”
As Sonic the Hedgehog 3‘s mid-credits scene showed, Metal Sonic is coming for part four. As some fans online have noted, Metal’s filming stand-in looks virtually unchanged from the character’s in-game model, though stand-ins for Sonic and other characters have had some alterations. Metal Sonic has been one of the franchise’s most requested characters for years. The evil robotic copy of Sonic has appeared throughout the video game series and remains one of the blue hedgehog’s most recognizable enemies.
Voice Cast
On February 18, 2026, Kristen Bell was announced as the voice of Amy Rose. Filming for Sonic the Hedgehog 4 officially began on March 2, 2026, confirmed by Fowler. Ben Schwartz reprises his voice role as the speedy titular critter. Other voice stars include Bell as Amy Rose, Colleen O’Shaughnessey as Tails, Idris Elba as Knuckles, and Keanu Reeves as Shadow. Jim Carrey, James Marsden, and Tika Sumpter round out the film’s live-action cast.
Newcomers add even more weight to the roster. Ben Kingsley, Matt Berry, Lee Majdoub, Nick Offerman, and Richard Ayoade are also part of the ensemble. Offerman and Bell had previously appeared alongside Schwartz in the television series Parks and Recreation.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 hit theaters in 2024 and saw Carrey portraying a dual role as Dr. Robotnik and the mad scientist’s grandfather. It surpassed $490 million at the global box office. Paramount’s live-action/CGI hybrid film series has proved incredibly lucrative at the global box office, grossing a collective $1 billion.
Fowler has directed all four installments of the Paramount and Sega franchise. Adapting the popular Sega video game property, the Paramount Pictures feature is set to hit theaters March 19, 2027. An untitled film in the franchise will also debut theatrically in late 2028.
