Sonic the Hedgehog (film series)

Last updated
Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog 2020.svg
Logo as seen in the first film
Original work Sonic the Hedgehog (2020)
Owner Paramount Pictures
Years2020–present
Print publications
Comics
  • Sonic the Hedgehog: The Adventures of Sonic & Donut Lord (2020)
  • Sonic the Hedgehog 2: The Official Movie Pre-Quill (2022)
  • Sonic X Shadow TOKYO MISSION: Episode 0 (2024)
Films and television
Film(s)
Short film(s)
  • Around the World in 80 Seconds (2020)
  • Sonic Drone Home (2022)
  • A Very Sonic Christmas (2024)
Television series Knuckles (2024)

Sonic the Hedgehog is a live action/animated action-adventure superhero comedy film and media franchise developed by Paramount Global and Sega Sammy Group. It is based on the Sonic the Hedgehog video game series and media franchise. The franchise consists of three released films, with a fourth in production, and a spin-off TV series. The franchise has been primarily directed by Jeff Fowler, who directed all three films and the pilot of Knuckles (2024).

Contents

Background

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]

Development

Films

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]

Expansion into television

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 supporting characters and give them more depth. [17]

Films

FilmU.S. release dateDirectorScreenwriter(s)Producers
Sonic the Hedgehog February 14, 2020 Jeff Fowler Pat Casey and Josh Miller Neal H. Moritz, Toby Ascher, Toru Nakahara and Takeshi Ito
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 April 8, 2022Pat Casey, Josh Miller and John Whittington Neal H. Moritz, Toby Ascher, Toru Nakahara and Hitoshi Okuno
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 December 20, 2024

Sonic the Hedgehog (2020)

Having superhuman speed, Sonic is forced to abandon his home world of Mobius [18] 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. [19]

Originally intended for release on November 8, 2019, [20] Sonic the Hedgehog was pushed back to February 14, 2020, due to the overwhelmingly negative response to Sonic's design in the first trailer. [21] [22] [23] 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. [24]

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022)

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. [25] 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. [25] Most of the first film's cast returned to reprise their roles, with Idris Elba joining the voice cast as Knuckles the Echidna. [26] Filming began in March 2021, in Vancouver, Canada. [27] The film premiered internationally in March 30, 2022, [28] followed by a world premiere on April 5, 2022, [29] and a theatrical release in the United States in April 8. [30]

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024)

In February 2022, Sega and Paramount confirmed that a third Sonic the Hedgehog film was in active development, [31] 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 [32] , 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. [33] On August 8, 2022, it was announced that the film would release in theaters on December 20, 2024. [34] 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. [35] Due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, filming would start in September 2023 without actors. [36] In February 2024, it was officially confirmed that Carrey would be reprising his role for the film, [37] while Krysten Ritter, Alyla Browne, James Wolk, Sofia Pernas, Cristo Fernández, and Jorma Taccone were cast in undisclosed roles. [38]

The film will be set after the events of Knuckles (2024). [39]

Sonic the Hedgehog 4 (2027)

In September 2024, producer Toby Ascher stated intent for additional instalments in the franchise following the release of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 . [40] In December 2024, The film was officially greenlit, slated for Spring 2027. [41]

Other

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". [42]

Short films

Around the World in 80 Seconds (2020)

On the home media release of the first film, a short film titled Around the World in 80 Seconds was included. [43]

Sonic Drone Home (2022)

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. [44]

A Very Sonic Christmas (2024)

A stop-motion short titled A Very Sonic Christmas was released on December 11, 2024, with Schwartz, Elba, O'Shaughnessey, and Reeves reprising their roles and Wade Whipple actor Adam Pally voicing Santa Claus. [45]

Television series

SeriesSeasonEpisodesOriginally released Showrunner(s)
First releasedLast released
Knuckles 16April 26, 2024 (2024-04-26) [46] Toby Ascher

Knuckles (2024)

Knuckles the Echidna takes Green Hills deputy officer Wade Whipple as his apprentice, teaching him the ways of the Echidnas. [47]

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 [36] [48] John Whittington was announced as head writer and executive producer in April 2023, [47] with Toby Ascher announced as showrunner and co-developer alongside Wittington in February 2024. [49] Additional executive-producers include Idris Elba and Sonic film director Jeff Fowler, who directed the pilot. [47] Filming began on April 2023 in London, England. [47]

The series is set after Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022), and sets up the events of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024). [39] 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. [47] [49] Christopher Lloyd voices Pachacamac, [50] who previously made a silent cameo during the first film's prologue. [51] All six episodes premiered on April 26, 2024 on Paramount+. [52]

Future

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]

Other media

Comics

In an exclusive Steelbook release for the first film, a short comic was included, titled Sonic the Hedgehog: The Adventures of Sonic & Donut Lord.

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 on March 30, 2022, which is written by Kiel Phegley with artwork by Adam Bryce Thomas, Tracy Yardley and Evan Stanley.

As a promotional tie-in to Sonic the Hedgehog 3, a prequel comic called Sonic X Shadow TOKYO MISSION: Episode 0 was released on December 20, 2024, which was written and illustrated by Yuki Imada, in the format of a manga.

Video games

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 . [53]

As a promotional tie-in to Sonic the Hedgehog 3 film, Shadow Generations , a spin-off of Sonic Generations , was released in October 2024. The Sonic Team head, Takashi Iizuka, said he wanted to "spotlight Shadow as a character". [54] Downloadable content based on the film was released on December 12, with an additional level set in Tokyo as it appears in the film; during the level, Shadow's appearance changes to resemble his movie counterpart, with Reeves reprising his voice. [55] [56]

Cast

List indicators

This section includes characters who will appear or have appeared in in the franchise.

CharactersFilmsShort filmsTV Series
Sonic the Hedgehog
(2020)
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
(2022)
Sonic the Hedgehog 3
(2024)
Around the World in 80 Seconds
(2020)
Sonic Drone Home
(2022)
A Very Sonic Christmas
(2024)
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 onlyJim Carrey A
Tom Wachowski James Marsden James Marsden P James Marsden A
Maddie Wachowski Tika Sumpter Mentioned onlyTika Sumpter P 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 Keanu Reeves
Amy Rose Silent cameo
Supporting characters
Longclaw Donna J. Fulks Silent cameoSilent cameo
Pachacamac Silent cameo Christopher Lloyd
Wade Whipple Adam Pally Mentioned onlyAdam Pally
Kit Rakusen Y
Agent Stone Lee Majdoub
Rachel Handel Natasha Rothwell
JojoMelody Nosipho Niemann
Commander Sam Walters Tom Butler Tom ButlerMentioned only
James Wolk Y
Secretary of Homeland SecurityElfina 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 Robotnik Alyla Browne
Gerald Robotnik Jim Carrey Mentioned only
Director Rockwell Krysten Ritter
Kyle Lancebottom Jorma Taccone
Gabriella Sofia Pernas
Pablo/Juan Cristo Fernández
UnitAaron Landon
Santa Claus Adam Pally
"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 WhippleMentioned only Stockard Channing
Jack Sinclair Julian Barratt
Susie BarnesAlice Tregonning
Gary N. Sinclair III Esq. Paul Scheer
Dylan Beagleton Rob Huebel

Crew

RoleFilm
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
Executive Producer(s) Hajime Satomi
Haruki Satomi
Masanao Maeda
Nan Morales
Tim Miller
Haruki Satomi
Yukio Sugino
Shuji Utsumi
Nan Morales
Tim Miller
Hajime Satomi
Haruki Satomi
Shuji Utsumi
Tim Miller
Jeff Fowler
Cinematographer Stephen F. Windon Brandon Trost
Composer Tom Holkenborg
Editor(s) Stacey Schroeder
Debra Neil-Fisher
Jim MayAl LeVine
Production companies Sega Sammy Group
Original Film
Marza Animation Planet
Blur Studio
Distributor Paramount Pictures
Running time99 minutes122 minutes110 minutes

Reception

Box office performance

FilmU.S. release dateBox office grossAll-time rankingBudgetRef.
U.S. and
Canada
Other territoriesWorldwide U.S. and
Canada
Worldwide
Sonic the Hedgehog February 14, 2020$148,974,665$170,741,018$319,715,683338474$85–90 million [57] [58]
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 April 8, 2022$190,872,904$211,000,000$401,872,904TBATBA$90–110 million [59]
Total$339,847,569$381,741,018$721,588,587219224$175–200 million [60]

Critical and public response

Films

FilmCriticalPublic
Rotten Tomatoes Metacritic CinemaScore PostTrak
Sonic the Hedgehog 63% (250 reviews) [61] 47 (43 reviews) [62] A [63]
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 69% (175 reviews) [64] 47 (33 reviews) [65] A [63] 87% [63]
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Lua error in Module:Rotten_Tomatoes_data at line 384: attempt to concatenate a nil value. [66] 59 (26 reviews) [67]

Television series

Critical response of Sonic the Hedgehog
TitleSeason Rotten Tomatoes Metacritic
Knuckles 175% (32 reviews) [68] 61 (11 reviews) [69]

Accolades

YearAwardCategoryRecipientsResultRef.
2020 SXSW Film Festival Excellence in Title DesignSonic the HedgehogNominated [70] [71]
People's Choice Awards The Family Movie of 2020Nominated [72]
2021 Critics' Choice Super Awards Best Superhero MovieNominated [73] [74]
Best Villain in a Movie Jim Carrey Won
Best Actor in a Superhero Movie Ben Schwartz and Jim CarreyNominated
Hollywood Critics Association Awards Best Animated or VFX PerformanceBen SchwartzWon [75]
Best BlockbusterSonic the HedgehogNominated
Best Visual Effects Ged Wright Nominated
Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards Favorite MovieSonic the HedgehogNominated [76]
Favorite Movie ActorJim CarreyNominated
Ursa Major Awards Best Motion PictureSonic the HedgehogNominated [77] [78]
Saturn Awards Best Fantasy Film Release Nominated [79]
2023 Black Reel Awards Outstanding Voice Performance Idris Elba Nominated [80]
[81]
2022 The Game Awards Best AdaptationSonic the Hedgehog 2Nominated [82]
Golden Trailer Awards Best Animation/Family PosterSonic the Hedgehog 2 (WORKS ADV)Nominated [83]
[84]
2023 Movieguide Awards Best Movies for FamiliesSonic the Hedgehog 2Won [a] [85]
Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards Favorite Movie Sonic the Hedgehog 2Won [86]
Favorite Movie ActorJim CarreyNominated
2024 The Game Awards Best AdaptationKnucklesNominated [87]

Music

Soundtracks

Films

TitleU.S. release dateLengthComposer(s)Label
Sonic the Hedgehog (Music from the Motion Picture) February 14, 202042:54 Tom Holkenborg / Junkie XL Paramount Music
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Music from the Motion Picture) April 8, 202257:33
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (Music from the Motion Picture) December 20, 20241:03:03 Milan Records

Television series

TitleU.S. release dateLengthComposer(s)Label
Knuckles (Music from the Paramount+ Original Series) April 26, 20241:11:06 Tom Howe Sony Classical

Singles

TitleU.S. release dateLengthArtist(s)LabelFilm
"Speed Me Up"January 24, 20202:46 Wiz Khalifa, Ty Dolla Sign, Lil Yachty and Sueco the Child Atlantic Sonic the Hedgehog
"Stars in the Sky"March 24, 20223:05 Kid Cudi Republic, UMG Recordings Sonic the Hedgehog 2
"Run It"November 22, 20242:39 Jelly Roll, Ryan Tedder, Sean Cook and David Guetta Sonic the Hedgehog 3

Notes

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sonic the Hedgehog (character)</span> Video game character

Sonic the Hedgehog is a character created by the Japanese game developers Yuji Naka and Naoto Ohshima. He is the star of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise and the mascot of the Japanese video game company Sega. Sonic is an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog who can run at supersonic speed. He races through levels, collecting rings and avoiding obstacles, as he seeks to defeat his archenemy, Doctor Eggman. He is accompanied by supporting characters, such as his best friend and sidekick Miles "Tails" Prower, self-proclaimed girlfriend Amy Rose, and friendly rival Knuckles the Echidna.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Knuckles the Echidna</span> Video game character

Knuckles the Echidna is a character from Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog series. He is a red anthropomorphic short-beaked echidna who is Sonic's secondary best friend and former rival. Determined and serious, but sometimes gullible, he fights his enemies using brute force and strength. His role is established as the guardian of the Master Emerald, a large gemstone which controls the series' integral Chaos Emeralds, and is the last living member of his tribe, the Knuckles Clan.

Tails (<i>Sonic the Hedgehog</i>) Video game character

Miles "Tails" Prower is a character created by Japanese game designer Yasushi Yamaguchi. Part of Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, he is the first character to consistently appear by Sonic's side in the series, appearing in nearly every mainline and spin-off game since his debut. His role as Sonic's best friend and sidekick is analogous to Luigi from the Mario series. The name "Miles Prower" is a pun on "miles per hour", a reference to the famed speed of Sonic the Hedgehog. Prower is a two-tailed anthropomorphic fox cub, hence the nickname.

<i>Sonic Adventure 2</i> 2001 video game

Sonic Adventure 2 is a 2001 platform game developed by Sonic Team USA and published by Sega for the Dreamcast. It features two good-vs-evil stories: Sonic the Hedgehog, Miles "Tails" Prower, and Knuckles the Echidna attempt to save the world, while Shadow the Hedgehog, Doctor Eggman, and Rouge the Bat attempt to conquer it. The stories are divided into three gameplay styles: fast-paced platforming for Sonic and Shadow, third-person shooting for Tails and Eggman, and action-adventure exploration for Knuckles and Rouge. Like previous Sonic the Hedgehog games, the player completes levels while collecting rings and defeating enemies. Outside the main gameplay, they can interact with Chao, a virtual pet, and compete in multiplayer battles.

<i>Sonic the Hedgehog</i> (TV series) 1993-1994 animated television series

Sonic the Hedgehog is an animated television series that aired from 1993 to 1994 based on Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog video game franchise. It was produced by DIC Productions, Sega of America, and the Italian studio Reteitalia in association with Telecinco, and is the second of DIC's Sonic cartoons, following Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog. To distinguish it from other Sonic media, fans commonly refer to the series as "Sonic SatAM", in reference to its Saturday morning timeslot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Idris Elba</span> English actor (born 1972)

Idrissa Akuna Elba is an English actor, rapper, singer, DJ and kick-boxer. He has received a Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for three BAFTA Awards and six Emmy Awards. He was named in the Time 100 list of the Most Influential People in the World in 2016. His films have grossed over $9.8 billion at the global box office, making him one of the top 20 highest-grossing actors.

<i>Sonic the Hedgehog</i> Video game and media franchise

Sonic the Hedgehog is a video game series and media franchise created by the Japanese developers Yuji Naka, Naoto Ohshima, and Hirokazu Yasuhara for Sega. The franchise follows Sonic, an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog who battles the evil Doctor Eggman, a mad scientist. The main Sonic the Hedgehog games are platformers mostly developed by Sonic Team; other games, developed by various studios, include spin-offs in the racing, fighting, party and sports genres. The franchise also incorporates printed media, animations, feature films, and merchandise.

<i>Knuckles the Echidna</i> (comics) Comic book series

Knuckles the Echidna, originally published as Knuckles: The Dark Legion, is an action-adventure comic book series published by Archie Comics. The series starred Knuckles the Echidna, a main character from Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog series of video games. The book was a spin-off of Archie Comics' Sonic the Hedgehog, with both series sharing narrative continuity. The series served as a successor to Sonic's Friendly Nemesis: Knuckles, a three-issue limited series from 1996. Knuckles was almost exclusively written by Ken Penders, the former lead writer of Sonic.

Ken Penders is an American comics artist and writer. Penders is known for his work on the Archie Comics series Sonic the Hedgehog and its Knuckles the Echidna spin-off, which he contributed to from 1993 to 2006, and subsequent lawsuits involving them.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marza Animation Planet</span> Japanese animation studio

Marza Animation Planet Inc. is a Japan-based CGI animation studio dedicated to making full-length feature films and video game cutscenes. Their extensive résumé includes CGI add-ins for television series and video games. Their head office is located on the 18th floor of the Tennoz Ocean Square in Higashi-Shinagawa, Shinagawa, Tokyo near Tennozu Isle Station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Schwartz</span> American actor and comedian (born 1981)

Benjamin Joseph Schwartz is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his recurring role as Jean-Ralphio Saperstein on the NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation, his starring role as Clyde Oberholt on the Showtime series House of Lies, and his voice roles as Randy Cunningham in Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja, Dewey Duck in DuckTales, and Leonardo in Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. He also appeared many times in the CollegeHumor web series Jake and Amir.

<i>Sonic the Hedgehog</i> (film) 2020 film by Jeff Fowler

Sonic the Hedgehog is a 2020 action-adventure comedy film based on the video game series published by Sega. It was directed by Jeff Fowler, written by Pat Casey and Josh Miller, and stars James Marsden and Jim Carrey. Ben Schwartz voices Sonic, a blue anthropomorphic hedgehog who runs at supersonic speeds and teams up with a town sheriff to stop the mad scientist Dr. Ivo Robotnik.

<i>Sonic the Hedgehog 2</i> (film) 2022 film by Jeff Fowler

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is a 2022 action-adventure comedy film based on the video game series published by Sega. It was directed by Jeff Fowler and written by Pat Casey, Josh Miller, and John Whittington, based on a story by Casey and Miller. Ben Schwartz, James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, Colleen O'Shaughnessey, and Jim Carrey reprise their roles, with Idris Elba joining the cast. In the film, Sonic and Tails must find the Master Emerald before their nemesis Dr. Ivo Robotnik and his partner Knuckles.

John Whittington is an American screenwriter. He is best known for his collaborations with Jared Stern, including The Lego Batman Movie (2017), The Lego Ninjago Movie (2017), and DC League of Super-Pets (2022).

<i>Sonic the Hedgehog 3</i> (film) 2024 film by Jeff Fowler

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is a 2024 action-adventure comedy film based on the video game series published by Sega. It was directed by Jeff Fowler and written by Pat Casey, Josh Miller, and John Whittington, based on a story by Casey and Miller. Jim Carrey, Ben Schwartz, Colleen O'Shaughnessey, Natasha Rothwell, Shemar Moore, James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, and Idris Elba reprise their roles, with Krysten Ritter and Keanu Reeves joining the cast. In the film, Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles face a new enemy, Shadow the Hedgehog, who allies with the mad scientists Ivo and Gerald Robotnik in pursuit of revenge against humanity.

Knuckles is an American television series created by John Whittington and Toby Ascher for the streaming service Paramount+, based on the Sonic the Hedgehog video game series published by Sega. It is a spin-off of the Sonic the Hedgehog film series and the first live-action Sonic television series. The series serves as a bridge between the events of the films Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022) and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024), and follows Knuckles the Echidna as he trains deputy sheriff Wade Whipple in the ways of the Echidna warrior. Whittington was head writer, with Ascher as showrunner.

"The Flames of Disaster" is the fourth episode of the series Knuckles. The episode was directed by Jorma Taccone and written James Madjeski. It was released on Paramount+ in April 26, 2024.

References

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  3. 1 2 Penders, Ken [@KenPenders] (March 12, 2019). "Amazing what bullshit gets spread over the Internet. This was NEVER pitched to Dreamworks. It didn't even exist in 2002. It was 1st pitched to SEGA - and ONLY SEGA - in Sept 2003. (I have the documents to prove it.) The ONLY reason it died in 2007 was massive corporate upheaval" (Tweet). Archived from the original on December 13, 2020. Retrieved February 17, 2022 via Twitter.
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