Knuckles's 'Sonic' Spinoff Series Gets Its Cast Together As Production Begins

Hey remember that Knuckles-centric series Paramount+ ordered, spun off from their highly successful Sonic the Hedgehog films? Well production has begun, and it's now known who will be starring alongside the Idris Elba-voiced Echidna warrior.

First announced in February 2022, two months before the character debuted in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 that April, Elba returns to the role and also serves as executive producer. What was originally called a miniseries no longer uses the term, but seems to still functionally be one. It's taking place between the second film and the upcoming third film, set for release on December 20, 2024. It will see Knuckles on a journey of self-discovery filled with action and comedy as he agrees to train a protégé and teach that protégé the ways of the Echidna warrior. Who is that protégé? Well it's Wade Whipple, Tom Wachowski's closest loyal friend, his deputy sheriff in Green Hills, played by Adam Pally in both preceding films and will be reprising his role as a series regular. He's said to be dimwitted.

As for non-regulars, Pally won't be the only human reprising their role, as Tika Sumpter will be back, guest-starring as Maddie Wachowski, Tom's wife. Rory McCann, with credits including Hot Fuzz and is the the voice of Megatron in Transformers: EarthSpark, will also guest star. Edi Patterson of The Righteous Gemstones and The Fungies!, Julian Barratt from The Mighty Boosh,  Ellie Taylor and even rapper Kid Cudi (under his real name Scott Mescudi) will recur in the series. Additional casting will be announced later.

Production on the series, simply called Knuckles at this point, has already begun in London. Jeff Fowler, director of both films so far, is back to direct its pilot and serve as an executive producer. John Whittington, who worked on the screenplay for 2, wrote the Knuckles pilot and serves as head writer and executive producer. Brian Schacter and James Madejski are also writing for the series. More members of the films' creative team, Neal H. Moritz and Toby Ascher of Original Film and Toru Nakahara, come over to executive produce. Jorma Taccone, Ged Wright, Brandon Trost, and Carol Banker are also directing episodes. Like the films, Paramount Pictures and Sega of America produce.

No premiere date has been set, but both of the films so far are currently on Paramount+. The press release calls the budding film franchise the "Cinematic World of Sonic the Hedgehog", which personally feels like a bit too much. Calm down Paramount, it's okay to not have a name like that.

Source: Paramount Press Express