Welcome, one and all, to another Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie post. You see, some new information has come to light about the blur blur’s big screen debut! So, let’s start by talking about what has been confirmed.
Budget And Shooting
Filming is due to start in September, and it looks like eleven days will be spent in Ladysmith, British Columbia, Canada with a budget of $7 million for these specific scenes. It’s expected that First Avenue will be used, and Highway 19 between Qualicum Beach and Courtenay are also expected to be taken in.
Source: Nanaimo News Bulletin
James Marsden
James Marsden, currently known for his roles as Teddy Flood (Westworld) and Cyclops (The X-Men films), is set to star in the movie.
Source: Variety
Sonic is … a delinquent
Jim Gianopulos, president of Paramount Pictures, has stated the following in regards to the movie:
“He’s a juvenile delinquent on the adventures in a pretty straight rural environment with a local policeman. It was instantly engaging and it was good enough where you could see where it’s going … What we’re trying to do with Sonic is make a movie about a small-town police officer and Sonic at a time when they are both desperately in need of a friend, and we hope that this theme is friendship is what gives the film its heart and makes it prosper.”
Source: Siliconera
So, there are a few things to unpack there. The budget for the scenes filmed in Ladysmith seems reasonable to me. Honestly though, the budget doesn’t always indicate the quality of a film, so I’m not too worried about that. James Marsden is also a good pick for the cast, and though his role hasn’t been 100% confirmed, I’m guessing he’s playing the cop mentioned by Jim Gianopulos.
Which leaves us with the delinquent angle. Okay, I’m not sure how popular this opinion will be, but … it kinda fits. Yes, Sonic is fighting for freedom, but when you look at the games and extended universe, he’s not above crime. While Eggman is indeed committing crimes, Sonic’s actions do sometimes constitute breaking and entering and destruction of property. On top of that, Sonic is also pretty arrogant at times, which is how I often personally picture delinquents in fiction. Delinquent is also defined as ‘failing in one’s duties’. Ever noticed how in his free lifestyle, Sonic rarely sticks around long enough to help with the clean-up?
On top of that, this seems to be moving away from the established mainline games universe a fair bit. I think that that’s important. If we’re being honest here, the original games aren’t in depth enough to make a full movie work, and the more modern games have had too much of a mixed reaction not be viewed favourably if this adapted the source material too closely. Taking a different approach here may be the best thing that they can do with it. The buddy cop formula is a popular one, too. And not just for adults. Look at the success of Zootopia/Zootropolis/Crazy Animal City.
No, it may be different, but I think that this could work. Yes, I would still rather that this was a full CGI film, but until I see a trailer, I’m withholding judgement as to how this will all mesh. I’m remaining optimistic.
But what about yourselves? What do you think of the latest news? Do you think this will rock or flop? Let me know in the comments below.
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