Hold onto your rings, Sonic the Hedgehog’s foe-turned-friend is back for a next-level adventure on Paramount Plus that sees Idris Elba return to voice legendary echidna warrior Knuckles.
The six-part spin-off from the film and video-game franchise follows events between Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022) and the upcoming third movie Sonic the Hedgehog 3, due for release in December, as Knuckles is struggling to adapt to life on Earth after helping Sonic defeat mad scientist Robotnik (played by Jim Carrey in the movies).
Here, stars Idris Elba and Adam Pally reveal what's in store...
Knuckles release date
Knuckles hits Paramount Plus on Friday, April 26 in the US, and Saturday, April 27 in the UK. All episodes are available at once, so binge away!
Knuckles: What's the story?
Now living with the Wachowski family in Green Hills, Montana, alien echidna Knuckles is taking a break from being a warrior – until a ghostly apparition of his tribe’s chief, Pachacamac (Back to the Future’s Christopher Lloyd), appears and instructs him to take on bumbling cop Wade Whipple (The Mindy Project’s Adam Pally) as an apprentice. Can the red ball of fury make a warrior out of Wade?
"This series is just as good as the movies," says Idris, whose spike-fisted character first appeared in Sonic the Hedgehog 2. "It’s pure, unadulterated, fan-filled love for Knuckles, plus you see a lot more of Wade. There’s a sort of bromance happening between them.
"Knuckles is such a funny, dry sort of character, which is new and different for me so I really enjoy playing him," says Idris, who’s known for his roles in crime drama Luther and Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013).
"The video games are great, too, and the Sonic universe is so generational. When you expand the story in films and TV series, there’s so much in it. It’s a lot of family fun."
Knuckles: Who else in the cast?
Ben Schwartz and Colleen O’Shaughnessey return to voice Sonic and his flying fox friend Tails, while Tika Sumpter reprises her role as their adoptive mother, Maddie Wachowski.
Game of Thrones’ Rory McCann also stars as Robotnik’s ex-employee and Knuckles’ new nemesis, The Buyer, plus comedian and former Strictly Come Dancing star Ellie Taylor and rapper Scott Mescudi, aka Kid Cudi, play the mysterious agents on Knuckles’ tail.
And look out for Flowers star Julian Barrett stars as bounty hunter Jack Sinclair, while Grease legend Stockard Channing and The Princess Bride’s Cary Elwes play Wade’s parents.
"You get to see Wade’s family and how their dynamic led to him being a mess of a grownup," smiles Adam who’s played the dim-witted deputy sheriff in both Sonic films. "But Knuckles imbues Wade with an inner strength and they both figure out who they are together."
Knuckles trailer
The Knuckles trailer gives us a brilliant insight into what we can expect from the new TV show. We see Knuckles struggling to adapt to his new life, but as always it isn't long before trouble follows him and he's forced to save the world once again. You can watch below...
Bringing Knuckles to the small screen
A large team of animators, puppeteers and visual-effects experts brought the blossoming companionship between Knuckles and Wade to life on screen.
"They created a lifelike Knuckles that I could talk to and also improvise with," Adam explains. "We had Idris’s recordings, too, and he voices Knuckles so perfectly. He brings an earnestness to the role; it’s a real comedy genius performance.
"Filming the series was very physical, too. I had to learn wire work, which men of my physique don’t usually do so it took a couple of extra hands on deck to get me on the wire!" Adam laughs. "It was a blast, though. Everyday I would wake up black and blue, but with a smile on my face."
