Sonic the Hedgehog 3 has officially become one of Keanu Reeves’ highest-grossing movies of all time. Reeves made his Sonic franchise debut as the voice actor behind Shadow the Hedgehog in the threequel, after the character was teased in a Sonic the Hedgehog 2 post-credits scene. Starring alongside Reeves was a cast that included Idris Elba, Ben Schwartz, Jim Carrey, James Marsden, and Colleen O’Shaughnessey. Sonic the Hedgehog 4 was officially announced at the end of last year, and is eyeing a March 2027 release date.
Per The Numbers, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 has now set a new record for Reeves. The film is now Reeves’ no. 4 highest-grossing movie of his career. This new milestone comes from Sonic the Hedgehog 3‘s $462.5 million worldwide gross, which pᴀssed John Wick: Chapter 4‘s $440.3 million gross. The SEGA adaptation now falls behind only Toy Story 4, The Matrix Reloaded, and The Matrix in Reeves’ oeuvre.
What This Means For Reeves & The Sonic The Hedgehog Franchise
The Animated Characters Are The Heart & Soul Of The Franchise
John Wick is a Reeves’ second-biggest franchise (behind The Matrix), so for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 to pᴀss all the John Wick films is a huge achievement. The CGI-animated hybrid film even has the opportunity to pᴀss the original The Matrix in terms of box office gross, as less than $4 million separates the two films. If it does so, it will be in Reeves’ top 3 worldwide box office grosses. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is already Reeves’ third-highest-grossing film domestically.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3‘s recent achievement is also good news for the health of the franchise. Not only is the film a box office success in and of itself, but it has set records for some of its main actors, potentially making them more enthusiastic about returning for Sonic the Hedgehog 4. The animated characters are central to the Sonic movies, and have been getting more and more screen time as compared with the live-action actors, so the return of people like Reeves is essential.
Our Take On Sonic The Hedgehog 3’s Place In Reeves’ Career
Reeves Is A Growingly Versatile Voice Actor
Looking at Reeves’ top films, I am struck by how important his voice acting work has been to his success. While best known to the public for his roles in The Matrix and John Wick movies, Reeves is growing in popularity for his voice acting roles. This includes movies like Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and his top-grossing Toy Story 4, but also video game roles like Cyberpunk 2077. He had a voice cameo in Severance season 2, adding to his growing list of voice-acting work. As such, Sonic the Hedgehog 3‘s record is great publicity for his voice-acting career.
Source: The Numbers