Submission declined on 24 April 2024 by
Shadow311 (
talk). Again, Do not resubmit until the third film is released.
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Submission declined on 15 April 2024 by
Vrxces (
talk). Consensus per
MOS:FILMSERIES appears to be to wait for the third film to be released. The considerable submission history of this item suggests it is best to exercise a cautious approach. Declined by
Vrxces 52 days ago. |
Submission declined on 16 September 2023 by
Voorts (
talk). Per
Robert McClenon, please
develop consensus at
Talk:Sonic the Hedgehog (film) before resubmitting this. Declined by
Voorts 8 months ago. |
Submission declined on 14 May 2023 by
Robert McClenon (
talk).
Sonic the Hedgehog (film series) is currently a locked redirect to
Sonic the Hedgehog (film) due to
tendentious creation of articles by
sockpuppets. If there is support for unlocking the redirect to permit acceptance of this draft, that should be discussed at the talk page of the existing article,
Talk:Sonic the Hedgehog (film). Discuss at
Talk:Sonic the Hedgehog (film). Declined by
Robert McClenon 12 months ago. |
Submission declined on 24 May 2022 by
SlySabre (
talk). Per
WP:FILMSERIES and
WP:TOOSOON, what I would consider to be a film series page would be at least a trilogy of films. However, in this case, only two have been released. I would either wait until the third one or the television series have been released before re-submitting. Declined by
SlySabre 2 years ago. |
Submission declined on 15 April 2022 by
OceanHok (
talk). This submission does not appear to be written in
the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. Entries should be written from a
neutral point of view, and should refer to a range of
independent, reliable, published sources. Please rewrite your submission in a more encyclopedic format. Please make sure to avoid
peacock terms that promote the subject. Declined by
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Last edited by
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Update)
Finished drafting? or |
Sonic the Hedgehog | |
---|---|
Original work | Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) |
Owner | Paramount Pictures |
Years | 2020–present |
Print publications | |
Comics |
|
Films and television | |
Film(s) |
|
Short film(s) |
|
Television series | Knuckles (2024) |
Sonic the Hedgehog is an American-Japanese live action/ computer animated action-adventure superhero comedy film and media franchise developed by Paramount Global and Sega Sammy Group. It is based on the video game series and media franchise of the same name. The franchise currently consists of two released films, with a third in production, and a spin-off TV series set to release in April 2024. The franchise has been primarily directed by Jeff Fowler, who directed all three films and the pilot of Knuckles (2024).
Development for a Sonic the Hedgehog film had occurred dating back to 1993, when Michealene Risley, consumer products director of Sega of America negotiated with several Hollywood producers. Risley had helped license Sonic for the animated series Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog. Sega of America CEO Tom Kalinske feared of damaging the brand, citing the commercial and critical failures of Hollywood Pictures/ Cinergi Pictures' Super Mario Bros. and Universal Pictures/ Columbia Pictures' Street Fighter. Despite Kalinske's concerns, Sega was enthusiastic. In August 1994, Sega struck a development deal with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Trilogy Entertainment Group, with Pen Densham as executive producer. [1] The film was to be titled Sonic the Hedgehog: Wonders of the World, and would follow Sonic after coming into the real world of a kid named Josh and fighting Dr. Robotnik. MGM later cancelled the film after a failed attempt to give the film to DreamWorks Pictures. [1]
In 2002, Ben Hurst pitched an animated Sonic film to DIC Entertainment that would be continuation of Sonic SatAM, in which he worked as a writer. DiC put Hurst in contact with a Sega executive interested in the idea. Hurst was contacted by Ken Penders, writer of the Archie Comics' Sonic the Hedgehog comic book series, who had been alerted of Hurst's plans. Though Hurst told him his strategy and offered to include him in his effort, Penders told Sega that Hurst was trying to co-opt the franchise, leading Sega to dismiss Hurst and his proposal. [2] In September 2003, Penders pitched his own concept for a Sonic film, Sonic Armageddon. In Penders' words, the movie would have been an origin story and a series reset, resolving the plot threads which began in the animated Sonic show and continued in Archie's comic series. The project was dropped in 2007 due to a corporate upheaval and the death of Sega licensing manager Robert Leffler, who had supported Penders. [3] Penders later confirmed that the film was not pitched to DreamWorks at all. [3]
In 2013, Sony Pictures Entertainment acquired the rights to produce and distribute a Sonic film. [4] On June 10, 2014, a live-action animated film was announced as a joint venture between Sony Pictures and Marza Animation Planet, a Japan-based subsidiary of Sega Sammy Holdings which had produced CGI cutscenes for several Sonic games. [5] It would be produced by Neal H. Moritz by his Original Film banner alongside Takeshi Ito, Mie Onishi, and Toru Nakahara, and written by Evan Susser and Van Robichaux. [5] In February 2016, Sega CEO Hajime Satomi said the film was scheduled for 2018. [6] Blur Studio's Tim Miller and Jeff Fowler were hired in 2016 to develop it, with the film being the latter's feature directorial debut and Miller serving as executive producer. Blur Studio previously produced cutscenes for the games Shadow the Hedgehog (2005), for which Fowler directed cutscenes, and Sonic the Hedgehog (2006). [7] Patrick Casey, Josh Miller, and Oren Uziel were writing the screenplay, while Casey and Miller wrote the story. [7] [8]
On October 2, 2017, Paramount Pictures announced that they had acquired the rights after Sony put the film in turnaround. [9] Filming began in September 2018. [10] Following the release of the first trailer in April 2019, the film was delayed from its Novmeber 2019 release date to re-design Sonic after his original design was heavily criticized. [11] The film was released in February 2020 to a mixed-to-positive reception. The film features a post-credits scene featuring Miles "Tails" Prowler, with Fowler, Casey, Miller, and stars James Marsden and Ben Schwartz expressing interest in a sequel that further explored the video game's world. [12] [13] [14] [15]
A sequel was confirmed in May 2020, with most of the production team and cast returning from the first film. [16]
During development on Sonic the Hedgehog 2, the producers became interested in developing television series set in the films' universe that served as character studies for the cast, with the films serving as "these Avengers-level events" while the shows explore the franchise's supportong characters and give them more depth. [17]
Film | U.S. release date | Director | Screenwriter(s) | Producers | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sonic the Hedgehog | February 14, 2020 | Jeff Fowler | Pat Casey and Josh Miller | Neal H. Moritz, Toby Ascher, Toru Nakahara and Takeshi Ito | Released |
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 | April 8, 2022 | Pat Casey, Josh Miller and John Whittington | Neal H. Moritz, Toby Ascher, Toru Nakahara and Hitoshi Okuno | ||
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 | December 20, 2024[18] | Post-production |
Having superhuman speed, Sonic is forced to abandon his home world of Mobius [19] and ends up on Earth. After being discovered on Earth, he teams up with a human named Tom Wachowski to stop Dr. Ivo Robotnik, who wants to harness his powers. The first film in the series, it was released in theaters on February 14, 2020. [20]
Originally intended for release on November 8, 2019, [21] Sonic the Hedgehog was pushed back to February 14, 2020, due to the overwhelmingly negative response to Sonic's design in the first trailer. [22] [23] [24] Upon its release, the film was met with mixed reviews from critics, but was a box-office success, becoming the sixth-highest-grossing film of 2020. [25]
Eight months the events of the first film, Sonic joins forces with Miles "Tails" Prower to stop Dr. Robotnik, who recruits Knuckles to find a powerful emerald that has the power to build and destroy civilizations.
Following the success of the first film, Paramount had confirmed that a sequel was in development in May 2020, with Fowler set to return as director alongside writers Casey and Josh Miller. [26] Neal H. Mortiz, Toby Ascher, and Toru Nakahara produced the sequel, having previously co-produced the first film alongside Takeshi Ito, while Tim Miller, Hajime Satomi, and Haruki Satomi returned from the first film as executive producers. [26] Most of the first film's cast returned to reprise their roles, with Idris Elba joining the voice cast as Knuckles the Echidna. [27] Filming began in March 2021, in Vancouver, Canada. [28] The film premiered internationally in March 30, 2022, [29] followed by a world premiere on April 5, 2022, [30] and a theatrical release in the United States in April 8. [31]
In February 2022, Sega and Paramount confirmed that a third Sonic the Hedgehog film was in active development, [32] with Schwartz reprising his role, who expressed interest in it being subtitled "The Next Level". In April 2022, after Carrey announced that he was considering retiring from acting [33], producers Moritz and Ascher confirmed that his role as Dr. Robotnik would not be recast in any sequels if he followed through with his retirement plans. However, they remained hopeful that they could develop a script good enough for him to continue the role. [34] On August 8, 2022, it was announced that the film would release in theaters on December 20, 2024. [35] The character Shadow the Hedgehog is also expected to appear following his cameo in the mid-credit scene of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, although there was no confirmation for his voice actor at the time. In June 2023, it was reported that filming would begin in late August 2023 in London. [36] Due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, filming would start in September 2023 without actors. [37] In February 2024, it was officially confirmed that Carrey would be reprising his role for the film, [38] while Krysten Ritter, Alyla Browne, James Wolk, Sofia Pernas, Cristo Fernández, and Jorma Taccone were cast in undisclosed roles. [39]
The film will be set after the events of Knuckles (2024). [40]
In April 2022, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 director Jeff Fowler expressed interest in a future potential crossover film between Sonic the Hedgehog and the Universal Pictures' Mario film by Illumination Entertainment, tentatively entitled "Mario Versus Sonic", agreeing that "it would take a bit of rights-wrangling and negotiations [to] make it happen", but concluding that "there's a little twinkle in his eye about it all". [41]
On May 23, 2022, a digital release was announced with an animated short film called Sonic Drone Home following the events of the second film with Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles trying to deal with a badnik upgrading itself at the Green Hills Junkyard. [42]
Series | Season | Episodes | Originally released | Showrunner(s) | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
First released | Last released | |||||
Knuckles | 1 | 6 | April 26, 2024[43] | Toby Ascher |
Knuckles the Echidna takes Green Hills deputy officer Wade Whipple as his apprentice, teaching him the ways of the Echidnas. [44]
On February 15, 2022, during ViacomCBS' investor day, a television series centered around Knuckles was revealed to be in development for Paramount+, with it set for release in 2024 [37] [45] John Whittington was announced as head writer and executive producer in April 2023, [44] with Toby Ascher announced as showrunner and co-developer alongside Wittington in February 2024. [46] Additional executive-producers include Idris Elba and Sonic film director Jeff Fowler, who directed the pilot. [44] Filming began on April 2023 in London, England. [44]
The series is set after Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022), and sets up the events of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024). [40] Elba, Adam Pally, Tika Sumpter, Ben Schwartz, and Colleen O'Shaughnessey reprise their respective roles from the films as Knuckles, Wade Whipple, Maddie, Sonic, and Tails. [44] [46] All six episodes are set to premiere on April 26, 2024 on Paramount+. [47]
In April 2024, Toby Ascher said the possibility for other television series was possible should Knuckles be a success and as long as the filmmakers had a "really great story to tell". [17]
As a promotional tie-in to the first Sonic the Hedgehog film, the version of Sonic seen in it was added as a playable character to the mobile games Sonic Dash and Sonic Forces. [48]
As a promotional tie-in to Sonic the Hedgehog 2, a prequel comic called Sonic the Hedgehog 2: The Official Movie Pre-Quill was released in March 30, 2022.
Title |
No. of Issues |
Publication date(s) | Writer(s) | Artist(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
First published | Last published | ||||
Sonic the Hedgehog 2: The Official Movie Pre-Quill | 5 | March 30, 2022 | Kiel Phegley | Adam Bryce Thomas Tracy Yardley Evan Stanley |
This section includes characters who will appear or have appeared in in the franchise.
Characters | Films | Short films | TV Series | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) |
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022) |
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024) |
Sonic Drone Home (2022) |
Knuckles (2024) | |
Principal characters | |||||
Sonic the Hedgehog |
Ben Schwartz | Ben Schwartz | |||
Benjamin L. Valic Y | Benjamin L. Valic A Y | ||||
Doctor Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik | Jim Carrey | Mentioned only | Jim Carrey A | ||
Tom Wachowski | James Marsden | James Marsden A | |||
Maddie Wachowski | Tika Sumpter | Mentioned only | Tika Sumpter | ||
Miles "Tails" Prower | Colleen O'Shaughnessey U | Colleen O'Shaughnessey | Alicyn Packard | Colleen O'Shaughnessey | |
Knuckles the Echidna |
Idris Elba | Fred Tatasciore | Idris Elba | ||
Shadow the Hedgehog |
Silent cameo | Keanu Reeves | |||
Supporting characters | |||||
Longclaw | Donna J. Fulks | Silent cameo | |||
Pachacamac | Silent cameo | Christopher Lloyd | |||
Wade Whipple | Adam Pally | Mentioned only | Adam Pally Kit Rakusen Y | ||
Agent Stone | Lee Majdoub | ||||
Rachel Handel | Natasha Rothwell | ||||
Jojo | Melody Nosipho Niemann | ||||
Commander Sam Walters | Tom Butler | Mentioned only | |||
Secretary of Homeland Security | Elfina Luk | ||||
Major Bennington | Neal McDonough | ||||
Crazy Carl | Frank C. Turner | ||||
U.S. Army Chief of Staff | Peter James Bryant | ||||
U.S. Navy Chief of Staff | Garry Chalk | ||||
Air Force Chief of Staff | Michael Hogan | ||||
Randall Handel | Shemar Moore | ||||
Maria | Alyla Browne | ||||
Unit | Aaron Landon | ||||
"The Buyer" | Rory McCann | ||||
Agent Mason | Kid Cudi | ||||
Agent Willoughby | Ellie Taylor | ||||
"Pistol" Pete Whipple | Cary Elwes | ||||
Wanda Whipple |
Edi Patterson Darcy Castle Y | ||||
Wendy Whipple | Mentioned only | Stockard Channing | |||
Jack Sinclair | Julian Barratt | ||||
Susie Barnes | Alice Tregonning | ||||
Gary N. Sinclair III Esq. | Paul Scheer | ||||
Dylan Beagleton | Rob Huebel |
Role | Film | ||
---|---|---|---|
Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) |
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022) |
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024) | |
Director | Jeff Fowler | ||
Producer(s) |
Neal H. Moritz Toby Ascher Toru Nakahara Takeshi Ito |
Neal H. Moritz Toby Ascher Toru Nakahara Hitoshi Okuno | |
Writer(s) |
Pat Casey Josh Miller |
Screenplay by: Pat Casey Josh Miller John Whittington Story by: Pat Casey Josh Miller |
Pat Casey Josh Miller John Whittington |
Executive Producer(s) | Hajime Satomi Haruki Satomi Masanao Maeda Nan Morales Tim Miller |
Hajime Satomi Yukio Sugino Shuji Utsumi Nan Morales Tim Miller |
Hajime Satomi Haruki Satomi Nan Morales Tim Miller |
Cinematographer | Stephen F. Windon | Brandon Trost | |
Composer | Tom Holkenborg | ||
Editor(s) |
Stacey Schroeder Debra Neil-Fisher |
Jim May | Al LeVine |
Production companies |
Sega Sammy Group Original Film Marza Animation Planet Blur Studio | ||
Distributor | Paramount Pictures | ||
Running time | 99 minutes | 122 minutes | TBA |
Film | U.S. release date | Box office gross | All-time ranking | Budget | Ref. | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
U.S. and Canada |
Other territories | Worldwide |
U.S. and Canada |
Worldwide | ||||
Sonic the Hedgehog | February 14, 2020 | $148,974,665 | $170,741,018 | $319,715,683 | 338 | 474 | $85–90 million | [49] [50] |
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 | April 8, 2022 | $190,872,904 | $211,000,000 | $401,872,904 | TBA | TBA | $90–110 million | [51] |
Total | $339,847,569 | $381,741,018 | $721,588,587 | 219 | 224 | $175–200 million | [52] |
Film | Critical | Public | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic | CinemaScore | PostTrak | |
Sonic the Hedgehog | 63% (250 reviews) [53] | 47 (43 reviews) [54] | A [55] | — |
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 | 69% (175 reviews) [56] | 47 (33 reviews) [57] | A [55] | 87% [55] |
Title | Season | Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic |
---|---|---|---|
Knuckles | 1 | 75% (32 reviews) [58] | 61 (11 reviews) [59] |
Year | Award | Category | Recipients | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2020 | SXSW Film Festival | Excellence in Title Design | Sonic the Hedgehog | Nominated | [60] [61] |
People's Choice Awards | The Family Movie of 2020 | Nominated | [62] | ||
2021 | Critics' Choice Super Awards | Best Superhero Movie | Nominated | [63] [64] | |
Best Villain in a Movie | Jim Carrey | Won | |||
Best Actor in a Superhero Movie | Ben Schwartz and Jim Carrey | Nominated | |||
Hollywood Critics Association Awards | Best Animated or VFX Performance | Ben Schwartz | Won | [65] | |
Best Blockbuster | Sonic the Hedgehog | Nominated | |||
Best Visual Effects | Ged Wright | Nominated | |||
Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite Movie | Sonic the Hedgehog | Nominated | [66] | |
Favorite Movie Actor | Jim Carrey | Nominated | |||
Ursa Major Awards | Best Motion Picture | Sonic the Hedgehog | Nominated | [67] [68] | |
Saturn Awards | Best Fantasy Film Release | Nominated | [69] | ||
2023 | Black Reel Awards | Outstanding Voice Performance | Idris Elba | Nominated |
[70] [71] |
2022 | The Game Awards | Best Adaptation | Sonic the Hedgehog 2 | Nominated | [72] |
Golden Trailer Awards | Best Animation/Family Poster | Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (WORKS ADV) | Nominated |
[73] [74] | |
2023 | Movieguide Awards | Best Movies for Families | Sonic the Hedgehog 2 | Won [a] | [75] |
Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite Movie | Sonic the Hedgehog 2 | Won | [76] | |
Favorite Movie Actor | Jim Carrey | Nominated |
Title | U.S. release date | Length | Composer(s) | Label |
---|---|---|---|---|
Sonic the Hedgehog (Music from the Motion Picture) | February 14, 2020 | 42:54 | Tom Holkenborg / Junkie XL | Paramount Music |
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Music from the Motion Picture) | April 8, 2022 | 57:33 | ||
Knuckles (Music from the Paramount+ Original Series) | April 26, 2024 | 1:11:06 | Tom Howe | Sony Classical |
Title | U.S. release date | Length | Artist(s) | Label | Film |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
" Speed Me Up" | January 24, 2020 | 2:46 | Wiz Khalifa, Ty Dolla Sign, Lil Yachty and Sueco the Child | Atlantic | Sonic the Hedgehog |
" Stars in the Sky" | March 24, 2022 | 3:05 | Kid Cudi | Republic, UMG Recordings | Sonic the Hedgehog 2 |
Category:Paramount Pictures drafts Category:Sonic the Hedgehog drafts
Submission declined on 24 April 2024 by
Shadow311 (
talk). Again, Do not resubmit until the third film is released.
Where to get help
How to improve a draft
You can also browse Wikipedia:Featured articles and Wikipedia:Good articles to find examples of Wikipedia's best writing on topics similar to your proposed article. Improving your odds of a speedy review To improve your odds of a faster review, tag your draft with relevant WikiProject tags using the button below. This will let reviewers know a new draft has been submitted in their area of interest. For instance, if you wrote about a female astronomer, you would want to add the Biography, Astronomy, and Women scientists tags. Editor resources
|
Submission declined on 15 April 2024 by
Vrxces (
talk). Consensus per
MOS:FILMSERIES appears to be to wait for the third film to be released. The considerable submission history of this item suggests it is best to exercise a cautious approach. Declined by
Vrxces 52 days ago. |
Submission declined on 16 September 2023 by
Voorts (
talk). Per
Robert McClenon, please
develop consensus at
Talk:Sonic the Hedgehog (film) before resubmitting this. Declined by
Voorts 8 months ago. |
Submission declined on 14 May 2023 by
Robert McClenon (
talk).
Sonic the Hedgehog (film series) is currently a locked redirect to
Sonic the Hedgehog (film) due to
tendentious creation of articles by
sockpuppets. If there is support for unlocking the redirect to permit acceptance of this draft, that should be discussed at the talk page of the existing article,
Talk:Sonic the Hedgehog (film). Discuss at
Talk:Sonic the Hedgehog (film). Declined by
Robert McClenon 12 months ago. |
Submission declined on 24 May 2022 by
SlySabre (
talk). Per
WP:FILMSERIES and
WP:TOOSOON, what I would consider to be a film series page would be at least a trilogy of films. However, in this case, only two have been released. I would either wait until the third one or the television series have been released before re-submitting. Declined by
SlySabre 2 years ago. |
Submission declined on 15 April 2022 by
OceanHok (
talk). This submission does not appear to be written in
the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. Entries should be written from a
neutral point of view, and should refer to a range of
independent, reliable, published sources. Please rewrite your submission in a more encyclopedic format. Please make sure to avoid
peacock terms that promote the subject. Declined by
OceanHok 2 years ago. |
The page
Sonic the Hedgehog (film series) in the
mainspace is currently a redirect to
Sonic the Hedgehog (film). This is a
draft article. It is a work in progress
open to editing by
anyone. Please ensure
core content policies are met before publishing it as a
live Wikipedia article. Find sources:
Google (
books ·
news ·
scholar ·
free images ·
WP refs) ·
FENS ·
JSTOR ·
TWL
Last edited by
2A02:214A:8010:F300:C9A3:B10B:2E81:7EA (
talk |
contribs) 17 days ago. (
Update)
Finished drafting? or |
Sonic the Hedgehog | |
---|---|
Original work | Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) |
Owner | Paramount Pictures |
Years | 2020–present |
Print publications | |
Comics |
|
Films and television | |
Film(s) |
|
Short film(s) |
|
Television series | Knuckles (2024) |
Sonic the Hedgehog is an American-Japanese live action/ computer animated action-adventure superhero comedy film and media franchise developed by Paramount Global and Sega Sammy Group. It is based on the video game series and media franchise of the same name. The franchise currently consists of two released films, with a third in production, and a spin-off TV series set to release in April 2024. The franchise has been primarily directed by Jeff Fowler, who directed all three films and the pilot of Knuckles (2024).
Development for a Sonic the Hedgehog film had occurred dating back to 1993, when Michealene Risley, consumer products director of Sega of America negotiated with several Hollywood producers. Risley had helped license Sonic for the animated series Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog. Sega of America CEO Tom Kalinske feared of damaging the brand, citing the commercial and critical failures of Hollywood Pictures/ Cinergi Pictures' Super Mario Bros. and Universal Pictures/ Columbia Pictures' Street Fighter. Despite Kalinske's concerns, Sega was enthusiastic. In August 1994, Sega struck a development deal with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Trilogy Entertainment Group, with Pen Densham as executive producer. [1] The film was to be titled Sonic the Hedgehog: Wonders of the World, and would follow Sonic after coming into the real world of a kid named Josh and fighting Dr. Robotnik. MGM later cancelled the film after a failed attempt to give the film to DreamWorks Pictures. [1]
In 2002, Ben Hurst pitched an animated Sonic film to DIC Entertainment that would be continuation of Sonic SatAM, in which he worked as a writer. DiC put Hurst in contact with a Sega executive interested in the idea. Hurst was contacted by Ken Penders, writer of the Archie Comics' Sonic the Hedgehog comic book series, who had been alerted of Hurst's plans. Though Hurst told him his strategy and offered to include him in his effort, Penders told Sega that Hurst was trying to co-opt the franchise, leading Sega to dismiss Hurst and his proposal. [2] In September 2003, Penders pitched his own concept for a Sonic film, Sonic Armageddon. In Penders' words, the movie would have been an origin story and a series reset, resolving the plot threads which began in the animated Sonic show and continued in Archie's comic series. The project was dropped in 2007 due to a corporate upheaval and the death of Sega licensing manager Robert Leffler, who had supported Penders. [3] Penders later confirmed that the film was not pitched to DreamWorks at all. [3]
In 2013, Sony Pictures Entertainment acquired the rights to produce and distribute a Sonic film. [4] On June 10, 2014, a live-action animated film was announced as a joint venture between Sony Pictures and Marza Animation Planet, a Japan-based subsidiary of Sega Sammy Holdings which had produced CGI cutscenes for several Sonic games. [5] It would be produced by Neal H. Moritz by his Original Film banner alongside Takeshi Ito, Mie Onishi, and Toru Nakahara, and written by Evan Susser and Van Robichaux. [5] In February 2016, Sega CEO Hajime Satomi said the film was scheduled for 2018. [6] Blur Studio's Tim Miller and Jeff Fowler were hired in 2016 to develop it, with the film being the latter's feature directorial debut and Miller serving as executive producer. Blur Studio previously produced cutscenes for the games Shadow the Hedgehog (2005), for which Fowler directed cutscenes, and Sonic the Hedgehog (2006). [7] Patrick Casey, Josh Miller, and Oren Uziel were writing the screenplay, while Casey and Miller wrote the story. [7] [8]
On October 2, 2017, Paramount Pictures announced that they had acquired the rights after Sony put the film in turnaround. [9] Filming began in September 2018. [10] Following the release of the first trailer in April 2019, the film was delayed from its Novmeber 2019 release date to re-design Sonic after his original design was heavily criticized. [11] The film was released in February 2020 to a mixed-to-positive reception. The film features a post-credits scene featuring Miles "Tails" Prowler, with Fowler, Casey, Miller, and stars James Marsden and Ben Schwartz expressing interest in a sequel that further explored the video game's world. [12] [13] [14] [15]
A sequel was confirmed in May 2020, with most of the production team and cast returning from the first film. [16]
During development on Sonic the Hedgehog 2, the producers became interested in developing television series set in the films' universe that served as character studies for the cast, with the films serving as "these Avengers-level events" while the shows explore the franchise's supportong characters and give them more depth. [17]
Film | U.S. release date | Director | Screenwriter(s) | Producers | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sonic the Hedgehog | February 14, 2020 | Jeff Fowler | Pat Casey and Josh Miller | Neal H. Moritz, Toby Ascher, Toru Nakahara and Takeshi Ito | Released |
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 | April 8, 2022 | Pat Casey, Josh Miller and John Whittington | Neal H. Moritz, Toby Ascher, Toru Nakahara and Hitoshi Okuno | ||
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 | December 20, 2024[18] | Post-production |
Having superhuman speed, Sonic is forced to abandon his home world of Mobius [19] and ends up on Earth. After being discovered on Earth, he teams up with a human named Tom Wachowski to stop Dr. Ivo Robotnik, who wants to harness his powers. The first film in the series, it was released in theaters on February 14, 2020. [20]
Originally intended for release on November 8, 2019, [21] Sonic the Hedgehog was pushed back to February 14, 2020, due to the overwhelmingly negative response to Sonic's design in the first trailer. [22] [23] [24] Upon its release, the film was met with mixed reviews from critics, but was a box-office success, becoming the sixth-highest-grossing film of 2020. [25]
Eight months the events of the first film, Sonic joins forces with Miles "Tails" Prower to stop Dr. Robotnik, who recruits Knuckles to find a powerful emerald that has the power to build and destroy civilizations.
Following the success of the first film, Paramount had confirmed that a sequel was in development in May 2020, with Fowler set to return as director alongside writers Casey and Josh Miller. [26] Neal H. Mortiz, Toby Ascher, and Toru Nakahara produced the sequel, having previously co-produced the first film alongside Takeshi Ito, while Tim Miller, Hajime Satomi, and Haruki Satomi returned from the first film as executive producers. [26] Most of the first film's cast returned to reprise their roles, with Idris Elba joining the voice cast as Knuckles the Echidna. [27] Filming began in March 2021, in Vancouver, Canada. [28] The film premiered internationally in March 30, 2022, [29] followed by a world premiere on April 5, 2022, [30] and a theatrical release in the United States in April 8. [31]
In February 2022, Sega and Paramount confirmed that a third Sonic the Hedgehog film was in active development, [32] with Schwartz reprising his role, who expressed interest in it being subtitled "The Next Level". In April 2022, after Carrey announced that he was considering retiring from acting [33], producers Moritz and Ascher confirmed that his role as Dr. Robotnik would not be recast in any sequels if he followed through with his retirement plans. However, they remained hopeful that they could develop a script good enough for him to continue the role. [34] On August 8, 2022, it was announced that the film would release in theaters on December 20, 2024. [35] The character Shadow the Hedgehog is also expected to appear following his cameo in the mid-credit scene of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, although there was no confirmation for his voice actor at the time. In June 2023, it was reported that filming would begin in late August 2023 in London. [36] Due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, filming would start in September 2023 without actors. [37] In February 2024, it was officially confirmed that Carrey would be reprising his role for the film, [38] while Krysten Ritter, Alyla Browne, James Wolk, Sofia Pernas, Cristo Fernández, and Jorma Taccone were cast in undisclosed roles. [39]
The film will be set after the events of Knuckles (2024). [40]
In April 2022, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 director Jeff Fowler expressed interest in a future potential crossover film between Sonic the Hedgehog and the Universal Pictures' Mario film by Illumination Entertainment, tentatively entitled "Mario Versus Sonic", agreeing that "it would take a bit of rights-wrangling and negotiations [to] make it happen", but concluding that "there's a little twinkle in his eye about it all". [41]
On May 23, 2022, a digital release was announced with an animated short film called Sonic Drone Home following the events of the second film with Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles trying to deal with a badnik upgrading itself at the Green Hills Junkyard. [42]
Series | Season | Episodes | Originally released | Showrunner(s) | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
First released | Last released | |||||
Knuckles | 1 | 6 | April 26, 2024[43] | Toby Ascher |
Knuckles the Echidna takes Green Hills deputy officer Wade Whipple as his apprentice, teaching him the ways of the Echidnas. [44]
On February 15, 2022, during ViacomCBS' investor day, a television series centered around Knuckles was revealed to be in development for Paramount+, with it set for release in 2024 [37] [45] John Whittington was announced as head writer and executive producer in April 2023, [44] with Toby Ascher announced as showrunner and co-developer alongside Wittington in February 2024. [46] Additional executive-producers include Idris Elba and Sonic film director Jeff Fowler, who directed the pilot. [44] Filming began on April 2023 in London, England. [44]
The series is set after Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022), and sets up the events of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024). [40] Elba, Adam Pally, Tika Sumpter, Ben Schwartz, and Colleen O'Shaughnessey reprise their respective roles from the films as Knuckles, Wade Whipple, Maddie, Sonic, and Tails. [44] [46] All six episodes are set to premiere on April 26, 2024 on Paramount+. [47]
In April 2024, Toby Ascher said the possibility for other television series was possible should Knuckles be a success and as long as the filmmakers had a "really great story to tell". [17]
As a promotional tie-in to the first Sonic the Hedgehog film, the version of Sonic seen in it was added as a playable character to the mobile games Sonic Dash and Sonic Forces. [48]
As a promotional tie-in to Sonic the Hedgehog 2, a prequel comic called Sonic the Hedgehog 2: The Official Movie Pre-Quill was released in March 30, 2022.
Title |
No. of Issues |
Publication date(s) | Writer(s) | Artist(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
First published | Last published | ||||
Sonic the Hedgehog 2: The Official Movie Pre-Quill | 5 | March 30, 2022 | Kiel Phegley | Adam Bryce Thomas Tracy Yardley Evan Stanley |
This section includes characters who will appear or have appeared in in the franchise.
Characters | Films | Short films | TV Series | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) |
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022) |
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024) |
Sonic Drone Home (2022) |
Knuckles (2024) | |
Principal characters | |||||
Sonic the Hedgehog |
Ben Schwartz | Ben Schwartz | |||
Benjamin L. Valic Y | Benjamin L. Valic A Y | ||||
Doctor Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik | Jim Carrey | Mentioned only | Jim Carrey A | ||
Tom Wachowski | James Marsden | James Marsden A | |||
Maddie Wachowski | Tika Sumpter | Mentioned only | Tika Sumpter | ||
Miles "Tails" Prower | Colleen O'Shaughnessey U | Colleen O'Shaughnessey | Alicyn Packard | Colleen O'Shaughnessey | |
Knuckles the Echidna |
Idris Elba | Fred Tatasciore | Idris Elba | ||
Shadow the Hedgehog |
Silent cameo | Keanu Reeves | |||
Supporting characters | |||||
Longclaw | Donna J. Fulks | Silent cameo | |||
Pachacamac | Silent cameo | Christopher Lloyd | |||
Wade Whipple | Adam Pally | Mentioned only | Adam Pally Kit Rakusen Y | ||
Agent Stone | Lee Majdoub | ||||
Rachel Handel | Natasha Rothwell | ||||
Jojo | Melody Nosipho Niemann | ||||
Commander Sam Walters | Tom Butler | Mentioned only | |||
Secretary of Homeland Security | Elfina Luk | ||||
Major Bennington | Neal McDonough | ||||
Crazy Carl | Frank C. Turner | ||||
U.S. Army Chief of Staff | Peter James Bryant | ||||
U.S. Navy Chief of Staff | Garry Chalk | ||||
Air Force Chief of Staff | Michael Hogan | ||||
Randall Handel | Shemar Moore | ||||
Maria | Alyla Browne | ||||
Unit | Aaron Landon | ||||
"The Buyer" | Rory McCann | ||||
Agent Mason | Kid Cudi | ||||
Agent Willoughby | Ellie Taylor | ||||
"Pistol" Pete Whipple | Cary Elwes | ||||
Wanda Whipple |
Edi Patterson Darcy Castle Y | ||||
Wendy Whipple | Mentioned only | Stockard Channing | |||
Jack Sinclair | Julian Barratt | ||||
Susie Barnes | Alice Tregonning | ||||
Gary N. Sinclair III Esq. | Paul Scheer | ||||
Dylan Beagleton | Rob Huebel |
Role | Film | ||
---|---|---|---|
Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) |
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022) |
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024) | |
Director | Jeff Fowler | ||
Producer(s) |
Neal H. Moritz Toby Ascher Toru Nakahara Takeshi Ito |
Neal H. Moritz Toby Ascher Toru Nakahara Hitoshi Okuno | |
Writer(s) |
Pat Casey Josh Miller |
Screenplay by: Pat Casey Josh Miller John Whittington Story by: Pat Casey Josh Miller |
Pat Casey Josh Miller John Whittington |
Executive Producer(s) | Hajime Satomi Haruki Satomi Masanao Maeda Nan Morales Tim Miller |
Hajime Satomi Yukio Sugino Shuji Utsumi Nan Morales Tim Miller |
Hajime Satomi Haruki Satomi Nan Morales Tim Miller |
Cinematographer | Stephen F. Windon | Brandon Trost | |
Composer | Tom Holkenborg | ||
Editor(s) |
Stacey Schroeder Debra Neil-Fisher |
Jim May | Al LeVine |
Production companies |
Sega Sammy Group Original Film Marza Animation Planet Blur Studio | ||
Distributor | Paramount Pictures | ||
Running time | 99 minutes | 122 minutes | TBA |
Film | U.S. release date | Box office gross | All-time ranking | Budget | Ref. | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
U.S. and Canada |
Other territories | Worldwide |
U.S. and Canada |
Worldwide | ||||
Sonic the Hedgehog | February 14, 2020 | $148,974,665 | $170,741,018 | $319,715,683 | 338 | 474 | $85–90 million | [49] [50] |
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 | April 8, 2022 | $190,872,904 | $211,000,000 | $401,872,904 | TBA | TBA | $90–110 million | [51] |
Total | $339,847,569 | $381,741,018 | $721,588,587 | 219 | 224 | $175–200 million | [52] |
Film | Critical | Public | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic | CinemaScore | PostTrak | |
Sonic the Hedgehog | 63% (250 reviews) [53] | 47 (43 reviews) [54] | A [55] | — |
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 | 69% (175 reviews) [56] | 47 (33 reviews) [57] | A [55] | 87% [55] |
Title | Season | Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic |
---|---|---|---|
Knuckles | 1 | 75% (32 reviews) [58] | 61 (11 reviews) [59] |
Year | Award | Category | Recipients | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2020 | SXSW Film Festival | Excellence in Title Design | Sonic the Hedgehog | Nominated | [60] [61] |
People's Choice Awards | The Family Movie of 2020 | Nominated | [62] | ||
2021 | Critics' Choice Super Awards | Best Superhero Movie | Nominated | [63] [64] | |
Best Villain in a Movie | Jim Carrey | Won | |||
Best Actor in a Superhero Movie | Ben Schwartz and Jim Carrey | Nominated | |||
Hollywood Critics Association Awards | Best Animated or VFX Performance | Ben Schwartz | Won | [65] | |
Best Blockbuster | Sonic the Hedgehog | Nominated | |||
Best Visual Effects | Ged Wright | Nominated | |||
Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite Movie | Sonic the Hedgehog | Nominated | [66] | |
Favorite Movie Actor | Jim Carrey | Nominated | |||
Ursa Major Awards | Best Motion Picture | Sonic the Hedgehog | Nominated | [67] [68] | |
Saturn Awards | Best Fantasy Film Release | Nominated | [69] | ||
2023 | Black Reel Awards | Outstanding Voice Performance | Idris Elba | Nominated |
[70] [71] |
2022 | The Game Awards | Best Adaptation | Sonic the Hedgehog 2 | Nominated | [72] |
Golden Trailer Awards | Best Animation/Family Poster | Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (WORKS ADV) | Nominated |
[73] [74] | |
2023 | Movieguide Awards | Best Movies for Families | Sonic the Hedgehog 2 | Won [a] | [75] |
Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite Movie | Sonic the Hedgehog 2 | Won | [76] | |
Favorite Movie Actor | Jim Carrey | Nominated |
Title | U.S. release date | Length | Composer(s) | Label |
---|---|---|---|---|
Sonic the Hedgehog (Music from the Motion Picture) | February 14, 2020 | 42:54 | Tom Holkenborg / Junkie XL | Paramount Music |
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Music from the Motion Picture) | April 8, 2022 | 57:33 | ||
Knuckles (Music from the Paramount+ Original Series) | April 26, 2024 | 1:11:06 | Tom Howe | Sony Classical |
Title | U.S. release date | Length | Artist(s) | Label | Film |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
" Speed Me Up" | January 24, 2020 | 2:46 | Wiz Khalifa, Ty Dolla Sign, Lil Yachty and Sueco the Child | Atlantic | Sonic the Hedgehog |
" Stars in the Sky" | March 24, 2022 | 3:05 | Kid Cudi | Republic, UMG Recordings | Sonic the Hedgehog 2 |
Category:Paramount Pictures drafts Category:Sonic the Hedgehog drafts