Paramount+, Paramount Pictures, and SEGA of America announced the cast and gave more details of its upcoming new live-action TV series, Knuckles. Knuckles will take place within the “Cinematic World of Sonic the Hedgehog.” Paramount+ is taking a page out of the Disney+ “You have to watch the TV series to understand what is happening in every other related property” playbook because the series lineline is set in between Sonic the the Hedgehog 2 and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 movies. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 will be out in theaters on December 20, 2024.

As previously announced, Idris Elba will reprise his film role as Knuckles for the series and it will follow him on “a hilarious and action-packed journey of self-discovery as he agrees to train Wade [Adam Pally] as his protégé and teach him the ways of the Echidna warrior.”

In addition to Elba and Pally, the Knuckles series cast also includes Edi Patterson (The Righteous Gemstones), Julian Barratt (Mindhorn), Ellie Taylor (Ted Lasso) and Scott Mescudi (Don’t Look Up). Game of Thrones‘ Rory McCann has been announced as a guest star, as has Tika Sumpter, who will reprise her role as Maddie. No release date has been given for the series yet.

John Whittington, who wrote Sonic the Hedgehog 2 wrote the Knuckles pilot and is credit as head writer. Jeff Fowler directed the pilot episode. Neal H. Moritz, Toby Ascher, Toru Nakahara, Whittington, and Elbra serve as executive producers. Additional directors that were announced include Ged Wright, Brandon Trost, Jorma Taccone, and Carol Banker.