Paramount+’s official trailer for the event series Knuckles shows the titular character teaching Wade to be a warrior, turning a home into a gladiator pit, and generally disrupting lives. The series, set after the events of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and before Sonic the Hedgehog 3, will premiere on April 26, 2024 with the release of all six episodes.
Idris Elba returns to voice Knuckles and Adam Pally’s back as Wade Whipple. Franchise veterans Ben Schwartz, Tika Sumpter, and Colleen O’Shaughnessey also retuns as special guest stars in their roles as Sonic, Maddie, and Tails, respectively.
Additional series guest stars include Stockard Channing (The West Wing), Edi Patterson (The Righteous Gemstones), Scott Mescudi (Don’t Look Up), Ellie Taylor (Ted Lasso), Julian Barratt (Mindhorn), and Rory McCann (Game of Thrones). Cary Elwes (Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning), Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future), Paul Scheer (Black Monday), and Rob Huebel (Childrens Hospital) also guest star.
“The new live-action event series follows Knuckles (Idris Elba) on a hilarious and action-packed journey of self-discovery as he agrees to train Wade (Adam Pally) as his protégé and teach him the ways of the Echidna warrior,” reads Paramount+’s synopsis.
John Whittington and Toby Ascher created the series, with Ascher serving as showrunner. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 writer Whittington is the head writer and wrote the pilot episode. Brian Schacter and James Madejski are also involved as writers.
The Sonic films’ creative team returns for the series, with the films’ director Jeff Fowler involved as the director of the pilot episode. Fowler also helped to transition the film’s signature cinematic animation style to television. Sonic‘s executive producers Neal H. Moritz, Toby Ascher, John Whittington, and Toru Nakahara serve in the same capacity on the series. Idris Elba also executive produces, with Ged Wright, Brandon Trost, Jorma Taccone, and Carol Banker directing.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 opened in theaters on April 8, 2022 and grossed $725.2 million. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is set to open in theaters on December 20, 2024.
