Sonic the Hedgehog (film)

This article is about the 2020 film. For the 1996 animated film, see Sonic the Hedgehog (OVA).

Sonic the Hedgehog
The titular Sonic the Hedgehog runs on a road chased by drones and missles, atop a background of a city scape and a ring with Dr. Robotnik inside it.
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJeff Fowler
Written by
Based onSonic the Hedgehog
by Sega[a]
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyStephen F. Windon
Edited by
Music byTom Holkenborg
Production
companies
Distributed byParamount Pictures[4]
Release dates
  • January 25, 2020 (2020-01-25) (Paramount Pictures lot)
  • February 14, 2020 (2020-02-14) (United States)
  • June 26, 2020 (2020-06-26) (Japan)
Running time
99 minutes[6]
Countries
LanguageEnglish
Budget$85–90 million[9][3]
Box office$320 million[9]

Sonic the Hedgehog[b] is a 2020 action-adventure comedy film based on the video game series published by Sega. The film was directed by Jeff Fowler and written by Pat Casey and Josh Miller, and stars James Marsden and Jim Carrey, with Ben Schwartz voicing the titular character. The plot follows Sonic, a blue anthropomorphic hedgehog who can run at supersonic speeds, who teams up with a town sheriff to stop the mad scientist Dr. Robotnik.

Development for a Sonic film began in the 1990s but did not leave the planning stage until Sony Pictures acquired the film rights in 2013. Fowler was brought in to direct in 2016. After Sony put the project in turnaround, Paramount Pictures acquired it in 2017. Most of the cast signed on by August 2018. Principal photography took place between September and October that year in Vancouver and on Vancouver Island. Following the negative reaction to the first trailer, released in April 2019, Paramount delayed the film by three months to redesign Sonic.

Sonic the Hedgehog premiered at the Paramount Pictures studio lot on January 25, 2020, before its theatrical release in the United States on February 14, and received mixed reviews. It set the record for the biggest opening weekend for a video game film in the United States and Canada and grossed $320 million worldwide, becoming the sixth highest-grossing film of 2020 and the highest-grossing video game film adaptation in North America.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was released in 2022, while Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is scheduled for December 2024. A spin-off miniseries, Knuckles, premiered on Paramount+ in 2024.

  1. ^ "The bizarre evolution of Sonic the Hedgehog". Business Insider. February 13, 2020. Archived from the original on February 14, 2020. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  2. ^ "How Sega conquered the video games industry – and then threw it all away". The Independent. February 16, 2020. Archived from the original on February 17, 2020. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Cite error: The named reference NUM was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b c d "Sonic Billing" (PDF). Paramount Pictures. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 5, 2020. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
  5. ^ Porter, Rick (March 5, 2020). "'Sonic the Hedgehog' Producer Signs First-Look Deal With Legendary TV". The Hollywood Reporter. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  6. ^ "Sonic the Hedgehog (PG)". British Board of Film Classification. January 15, 2020. Archived from the original on January 15, 2020. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  7. ^ Grierson, Tim (February 13, 2020). "'Sonic The Hedgehog': Review". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on February 14, 2020. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
  8. ^ "Sonic the Hedgehog". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on February 15, 2020. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  9. ^ a b "Sonic the Hedgehog". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Archived from the original on January 24, 2021. Retrieved September 30, 2024.


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