‘Sonic the Hedgehog 4’ announces full cast a year before film’s release
Keanu Reeves, Jim Carrey and Ben Schwartz attend the Los Angeles premiere of ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 3’ at TCL Chinese Theatre on Dec. 16, 2024, in Hollywood, California. (Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic via Getty Images)
The full cast of Sonic the Hedgehog 4 has been revealed.
Ben Schwartz, who has voiced Sonic in all three of the Paramount Pictures franchise’s previous films, made the official casting announcement in an Instagram post on Thursday celebrating exactly one year until the release of the film.
Schwartz first confirmed that Jim Carrey will return as the evil Dr. Robotnik, before noting that franchise staples James Marsden and Tika Sumpter will also return as Tom and Maddie Wachowski.
“One year to go til Sonic 4. Jim is back and look who else is coming to play,” Schwartz captioned his post.
Newly announced to join the cast are Ben Kingsley, Richard Ayoade, Matt Berry and Nick Offerman. The latter previously starred with Schwartz in the beloved sitcom Parks and Recreation.
Also returning are Idris Elba, Keanu Reeves and Colleen O’Shaughnessey as Knuckles, Shadow and Tails. Lee Majdoub will also be back as Agent Stone.
Kristen Bell was previously announced to join the franchise as the voice of Amy Rose.
While a plot for the fourth film has yet to be unveiled, it will be directed by Jeff Fowler, who also helmed the previous three films in the franchise. It is scheduled for release on March 19, 2027.
Olivia Colman visits the IMDb Portrait Studio at Acura House of Energy on location at Sundance 2026 on Jan. 23, 2026, in Park City, Utah. (Mat Hayward/Getty Images for IMDb)
Olivia Colman has opened up about her personal connection to the queer stories she has been a part of.
The actress plays the parent of a nonbinary child in the new film Jimpa. In a recent interview with Them, Colman was asked how it feels to be part of so many stories rooted in the queer community.
“I find the most loving and the most beautiful stories are from that community. And I feel really honored to be welcomed,” Colman said.
The actress, who is married to actor Ed Sinclair, noted she has always felt as though she is “sort of nonbinary.”
“Throughout my whole life, I’ve had arguments with people where I’ve always felt sort of nonbinary,” Colman said. “Don’t make that a big sort of title! But I’ve never felt massively feminine in my being female. I’ve always described myself to my husband as a gay man. And he goes, ‘Yeah, I get that.’ So I do feel at home and at ease. I feel like I have a foot in various camps. I know many people who do.”
Jimpa‘s director, Sophie Hyde, agreed, saying the idea of binaries and gender are problematic.
“The idea of being a woman or womanhood. It doesn’t necessarily fit for all of us. I think these binaries of gender are problematic for many of us. It’s like, how can you fit? There are problems sometimes,” Hyde said.
Colman continued this thought, saying that these binaries limit men, too.
“And men are limited, too, in that — in the expectation they have to live up to. I think with my husband and I, we take turns to be the ‘strong one,’ or the one who needs a little bit of gentleness,” Colman said. “I believe everyone has all of it in them. I’ve always felt like that.”
Nick Reiner appears with Deputy Public Defender Kimberly Greene during his arraignment in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Feb. 23, 2026, in Los Angeles, California. Reiner is facing two counts of first-degree murder for the killing of his parents, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner, in their Los Angeles home in December 2025.(Chris Torres-Pool/Getty Images)
Nick Reiner pleaded not guilty to murder charges on Monday following his arrest late last year in the stabbing deaths of his parents, renowned director Rob Reiner and Michele Reiner.
The 32-year-old faces two counts of first-degree murder with the special circumstance of multiple murders.
His public defender, Kimberly Greene, entered not guilty pleas on his behalf during his court appearance in Los Angeles on Monday.
He will remain in jail on no bail. His next court appearance has been scheduled for April 29.
Nick Reiner was set to enter a plea in January at a hearing in Los Angeles, before his defense attorney, Alan Jackson, withdrew from the case during the court appearance. Nick Reiner agreed to delay his arraignment and was assigned a public defender.
Jackson told reporters after court that he had to withdraw as Nick Reiner’s counsel due to “circumstances beyond our control, but more importantly, circumstances beyond Nick’s control.”
“Pursuant to the law in California, Nick Reiner is not guilty of murder,” he added. “We wish him the very best moving forward.”
A Reiner family spokesperson said at the time, “They have the utmost trust in the legal process and will not comment further on matters related to the legal proceedings.”
Nick Reiner made a brief first court appearance on Dec. 17, 2025, during which he waived the right to a speedy arraignment.
Since then, sources told ABC News that law enforcement and defense attorneys had been working to piece together Nick Reiner’s psychiatric and substance abuse history.
He has a documented history of addiction and substance abuse treatment, and friends have told investigators that his mental health had been deteriorating prior to the fatal stabbings.
Rob Reiner and Michele Reiner were found stabbed to death in their Brentwood home on Dec. 14, 2025.
The night before, Nick Reiner — who had been living on his parents’ property — got into an argument with Rob Reiner at a holiday party and was seen acting strangely, sources told ABC News.
Nick Reiner was taken into custody in downtown Los Angeles hours after the bodies were discovered.
Rob Reiner and Michele Reiners’ other children, Jake Reiner and Romy Reiner, said in a statement following their parents’ deaths, “Words cannot even begin to describe the unimaginable pain we are experiencing.”
“The horrific and devastating loss of our parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, is something that no one should ever experience. They weren’t just our parents; they were our best friends,” they said.
Rei Ami, EJAE and Audrey Nuna perform ‘Golden’ during the 98th Annual Academy Awards held by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, CA, Sunday, March 15, 2026. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Unlike past years, when multiple nominees for best original song were performed during the Oscars ceremony, Sunday night’s Academy Awards only featured two nominees: “I Lied to You” from Sinners and “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters, which took home the trophy.
Dressed in coordinating white outfits, the voices of HUNTR/X — EJAE, Rei Ami and Audrey Nuna — sang “Golden” as a troupe of dancers waved golden flags behind them. The Oscar audience got in on the fun by waving lightbulb-shaped glow sticks in time to the music.
Of note, the Oscar for best original song was presented by past winner Lionel Richie; “Golden” is the first K-pop song to be nominated for, and to win, an Oscar. An emotional EJAE, who co-wrote “Golden,” accepted the trophy and pronounced herself “so proud” that “everyone is singing our song,” which she said was about resilience. When one of the song’s other co-writers attempted to thank someone, the group was played off the stage.
The “I Lied to You” performance recreated a specific scene in the film, in which the character Sammie sings in Club Juke and the music is so powerful that the entire history of Black music unspools around him. In addition to those who appeared in the film — Miles Caton, Alice Smith and Buddy Guy — the number incorporated many guest musicians and artists, including Raphael Saadiq, who co-wrote the song, plus Shaboozey, Alabama Shakes’ Brittany Howard, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Bobby Rush and ballerina Misty Copeland.
One unexpected performance at the show was Josh Groban’s appearance during host Conan O’Brien’s opening monologue. As O’Brien imagined winning an Oscar and being crowned king, Groban was on hand to sing a comically dramatic song celebrating O’Brien’s genius.
And a bonus performance came from Barbra Streisand, who sang a bit of “The Way We Were” after eulogizing her co-star Robert Redford, who died in September 2025.
