The film adaptation of Sonic’s adventures is speeding up. After hiring actor James Marsden for the first male role, Paramount Pictures studio is preparing to enlist a prestigious comedian. According to the Deadline site, Jim Carrey is in negotiations with the Hollywood major to play Dr. Robotnik (also called Eggman), a mad scientist and the main antagonist of the famous super-fast hedgehog from Sega’s video games. However, we still do not know if it will be only the voice of the character modeled in 3D or its incarnation in flesh and bone (with the red suit, the shaved head and mustache pronounced so).
After acquiring the adaptation rights last year of the Sonic the Hedgehog license, Paramount Pictures launched the production of a sonic movie in live action, but with several characters in computer graphics, including the famous blue hedgehog and the rest of his band (Tails, Knuckles). With a budget of $ 90 million, the film will be directed by Jeff Fowler, director who has to his credit a short film animated four minutes. James Marsden, cowboy of the Westworld series, will play the first human role, that of a cop who assists Sonic in his adventures. Actress Tika Sumpter ( First Date ) will also be there. No release date has been announced, however, at this rate, the darling of Sega could land in the dark rooms at the end of the year 2019.
Back to the comedy for Jim Carrey?
If Jim Carrey is confirmed in the role of Dr. Robotnik in this hedgehog movie, he would make his return to a family blockbuster, having participated in recent years in modest productions and oriented to the dramatic genre (Dark Crimes, The Bad Batch , Jim and Andy). The film also offers an opportunity for the comic legend of the 90s to regain box office success, especially after the critical failures of Kick-Ass 2 (2013) and Dumb and Dumberer (2014).
For its part in the sonic the hedgehog, the publisher Sega intends to make Sonic a new lucrative franchise in the cinema. Created in the early 90’s to compete with the competitor Nintendo’s plumber Mario, this ultra-fast character is one of the most famous video game heroes in the world with over 80 million physical copies sold, and more than 350 million in digital content and mobile download. A star of dozens of games, Sonic has also been treated to a handful of animated series (Sonic the Rebellious, Sonic X) and appeared in the credits of Disney’s animated film, Ralph’s Worlds.
However, it has to be said that the craze for the movie is at its highest point now and so are the expectations. Though th initial feedback is not completely positive at this point, it is true that the fanbase for this character is huge and therefore, it is for sure that the release of the films will offer a great deal of stir among the fans. Hopefully the makers and the film will live upt to the expectations.