Sonic the Hedgehog turns up in the second trailer for The Angry Birds Movie 3, which means the blue blur is now part of a franchise he has no obvious link to. He’s seen running at high speed alongside Josh Gad’s Chuck at about the 1:47 mark. GamesRadar reports the shot is very brief and comes with no context for why Sonic is there, since he didn’t appear in the first two films.
IGN, which broke the cameo down in its trailer write-up, describes the pair running through a forest, laughing and smiling over some unexplained mischief. Chuck is the yellow bird known for speed, so putting him next to Sonic is a natural visual gag. Neither the studio nor the trailer says whether the appearance goes beyond that one shot.
Why Sonic, and why now
The simplest explanation is corporate. Sega bought Angry Birds studio Rovio in 2023. IGN notes this is the first Angry Birds film under Paramount, after Sony handled the previous two, and Paramount also holds the movie rights to Sonic in partnership with Sega. So the crossover is easier to arrange than it would have been a few years ago.
There’s a promotional angle too. GamesRadar points out the film arrives seven years after the last one and long after the mobile game’s peak, so Sonic’s big-screen popularity could give it a boost. The timing helps both sides, because Sonic returns to cinemas soon. Sonic the Hedgehog 4 is set for 19 March 2027. We’ve covered that film’s progress, including the first Metal Sonic reveal as filming wrapped, and a fifth Sonic movie has also been confirmed.
The film itself
The trailer sets up the story of Red, who’s dealing with being a father of three while trying to save the world. John Rice, who previously directed Angry Birds 2, is back behind the camera. IGN says Jason Sudeikis returns as Red. Josh Gad, Danny McBride and Rachel Bloom also return, with Emma Myers, Keke Palmer, Tim Robinson and Lily James among the new voices.
The official film site lists it for theatres on 23 December 2026, from Paramount Pictures. We haven’t found a confirmed date for cinemas in the UAE, Saudi Arabia or Egypt yet. It’s also unclear whether Ben Schwartz or Roger Craig Smith, Sonic’s voice actors in the live-action and animated versions, will play him here.
When does The Angry Birds Movie 3 come out?
Paramount lists a theatrical release on 23 December 2026. Regional dates for the Gulf and Egypt haven’t been confirmed, so check your local cinema listings closer to the date.
Is Sonic a main character in Angry Birds 3?
It looks like a cameo. The trailer shows him in one brief shot next to Chuck, and no one has said how much screen time he gets in the finished film.
When does Sonic the Hedgehog 4 arrive?
IGN and Screen Rant both report it’s scheduled for 19 March 2027 in theatres.
