Keanu Reeves to voice Shadow in Sonic the Hedgehog 3

Keanu Reeves has been cast as Shadow in Sonic the Hedgehog 3.

The John Wick actor will voice Shadow in the franchise, reports Variety magazine.

He joins a cast that includes Ben Schwartz as Sonic, and Jim Carrey as the villainous Dr. Robotnik.

The Paramount Pictures film is based on the popular Sega video games of the same name.

In the games, Shadow is an anthropomorphic hedgehog, who is often an antagonist to Sonic - although he has helped Sonic and his allies when needed.

This will be the character's first appearance on the big screen.

Jeff Fowler is returning as director on the latest sequel, which will open in cinemas on 20 December 2024.

Sonic is so far one of Paramount's most successful series, with the combined global box office for Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 standing at more than $725 million (£582 million).

The studio also has a spin-off series, titled Knuckles, that is set to premiere on Paramount+.

Reeves' credits include Speed, Bram Stoker's Dracula and The Matrix franchise. His next film projects to hit cinemas will be the John Wick spin-off, Ballerina, and comedy Good Fortune alongside Aziz Ansari, Seth Rogen, Keke Palmer and Sandra Oh.