The live-action “Knuckles” series starring Idris Elba at Paramount+ has assembled its cast.
The show was first announced in February 2022. In addition to Elba reprising the role of Knuckles from “Sonic the Hedgehog 2,” PvNew has learned that Adam Pally (“Happy Endings,” “The Mindy Project”) is set to star in the series, once again playing the role of Wade Whipple from the film franchise.
The film takes place between the events of “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” and “Sonic the Hedgehog 3,” which is slated to hit theaters Dec. 20, 2024. In the series, Knuckles “agrees to train Wade as his protégé and teach him the ways of the Echidna warrior,” per the official logline.
Edi Patterson (“The Righteous Gemstones”), Julian Barratt (“Mindhorn”), Scott Mescudi (“Don’t Look Up”), and Ellie Taylor (“Ted Lasso”) will recur in the series. Rory McCann (“Game of Thrones”) will guest star, as will Tika Sumpter, reprising the role of Maddie from the films. Additional casting will be announced at a later date.
Production on the series is now underway in London. John Whittington, who worked on the screenplay for “Sonic the Hedgehog 2,” wrote the pilot for “Knuckles” and serves as head writer and executive producer on the series. Brian Schacter and James Madejski are also writers.
Jeff Fowler, who directed both “Sonic the Hedgehog” films, will direct the pilot episode and executive produce the series. Neal H. Moritz and Toby Ascher of Original Film and Toru Nakahara — all members of the films’ creative team — serve as executive producers, as does Elba. Ged Wright, Brandon Trost, Jorma Taccone, and Carol Banker are also directing episodes. Paramount Pictures and Sega of America produce.
“Sonic the Hedgehog” was released in theaters in February 2020, with the sequel debuting in April 2022. In total, the two films have earned over $724 million at the global box office.
