Sonic the Hedgehog (Film)
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- This article is about the 2020 film. For the 1996 animated film, see Sonic the Hedgehog (OVA).
| Sonic the Hedgehog | |
| Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Jeff Fowler |
| Produced by | Neal H. Moritz Toby Ascher Toru Nakahara Takeshi Ito |
| Written by | Pat Casey Josh Miller |
| Based on | Sonic the Hedgehog by Sega[a] |
| Starring | James Marsden Ben Schwartz Tika Sumpter Jim Carrey |
| Narrated by | Ben Schwartz |
| Music by | Tom Holkenborg |
| Cinematography | Stephen F. Windon |
| Edited by | Stacey Schroeder Debra Neil-Fisher |
| Production company | Sega Sammy Group Original Film Marza Animation Planet Blur Studio |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
| Release date | January 25, 2020 (Paramount Theatre) February 14, 2020 (United States) June 26, 2020 (Japan) |
| Running time | 99 minutes |
| Country | United States Japan |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $81–95 million |
| Box office | $306.8 million |
Sonic the Hedgehog[b] is a 2020 action-adventure comedy film based on the video game franchise published by Sega. The film is directed by Jeff Fowler in his feature directorial debut and written by Pat Casey and Josh Miller. It stars Ben Schwartz as the voice of Sonic the Hedgehog and Jim Carrey as Doctor Robotnik, as well as James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, Natasha Rothwell, Adam Pally, and Neal McDonough. In the film, Sonic teams up with local town sheriff Tom Wachowski to find his lost rings and escape Dr. Robotnik.
Development for a film began in the 1990s, but did not go beyond the planning stage until Sony Pictures acquired the film rights in 2013. Production involved the collaboration of Sega Sammy's Japanese studio Marza Animation Planet, with Fowler brought in to direct in 2016. After Sony put the project in turnaround, Paramount Pictures acquired it in 2017. The majority of the cast signed on by August 2018, and principal filming took place between September and October that year in Vancouver and on Vancouver Island. Following the negative reaction to the first trailer in 2019, the film's release was delayed by three months to redesign Sonic.
Sonic the Hedgehog premiered at the Paramount Theatre on January 25, 2020, and was theatrically released in the United States on February 14, 2020. Critics praised the performances (particularly that of Schwartz and Carrey), Sonic's design, and its faithfulness to the source material, but criticized the plot for its lack of originality. The film set the record for the biggest opening weekend for a video game film in the United States and Canada. It grossed $306 million worldwide, becoming the second highest-grossing film of 2020, and the highest-grossing video game film adaptation of all time in North America. A sequel was announced on May 28, 2020.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
[edit] Cast
- Ben Schwartz as the voice of Sonic: An anthropomorphic blue hedgehog with superhuman speed who is on the run from Robotnik and the United States government. Schwartz also provided the facial motion capture for Sonic.
- Benjamin L. Valic as young Sonic
- Jim Carrey as Dr. Robotnik: A mad scientist and inventor who is after Sonic's super-speed powers for world conquest.
- James Marsden as Thomas Michael "Tom" Wachowski: The sheriff of Green Hills who wishes to join the SFPD. He befriends Sonic and aids him in his quest to stop Robotnik.
- Tika Sumpter as Maddie Wachowski: A veterinarian and Tom's wife who later helps him and Sonic evade Robotnik.
- Lee Majdoub as Agent Stone: A government agent who works for Robotnik.
- Natasha Rothwell as Rachel: Maddie's sister who dislikes Tom and frequently encourages Maddie to leave him.
- Melody Nosipho Niemann as Jojo; Daughter of Rachel and the niece of Maddie and Tom Wachowski.
- Adam Pally as Wade Whipple: A police officer in Green Hills and Tom's friend.
- Neal McDonough as Major Bennington: A soldier who dislikes Robotnik.
- Tom Butler as Commander Walters: The Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who orders Robotnik to investigate the disturbances caused by Sonic.
- Frank C. Turner as Crazy Carl: A conspiracy theorist who seeks to prove Sonic's existence and refers to him as "The Blue Devil".
Additionally, Colleen O'Shaughnessey, the voice of Tails in the video game series since 2014, reprises her role for the mid-credits scene. Garry Chalk, who previously voiced Grounder and Robotnik in Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic Underground respectively, appears as the US Navy Chief of Staff. Donna Jay Fulks voices Longclaw, an anthropomorphic owl and Sonic's caretaker. Pachacamac, an echidna who is the leader of Knuckles's tribe in the games, makes a non-speaking cameo at the start of the film, as the echidna who shoots down Longclaw.
[edit] Production
[edit] Development
[edit] Casting
[edit] Filming
[edit] Visual effects and design
[edit] Music
[edit] Release
[edit] Marketing
[edit] Home media
[edit] Reception
[edit] Box office
[edit] Critical response
[edit] Sequel
[edit] Notes
- a. ^ Sonic the Hedgehog was developed by Sonic Team, published by Sega, directed and programmed by Yuji Naka, designed by Hirokazu Yasuhara, and illustrated by Naoto Ohshima.
- b. ^ Known in Japan as Sonic the Movie: ソニック・ザ・ムービー, Hepburn: Sonikku za Mūbī)
