First confirmed in 2014, it was announced that Sony Pictures would collaborate with Sega Sammy and Marza Animation Planet to produce a CGI/live-action Sonic the Hedgehog movie, which is currently scheduled for a 2018 premiere. While very little is known about the movie, word dropped via the Hollywood Reporter that Deadpool director Tim Miller has signed on as its executive producer.
Distributed by 20th Century Fox
This comes after the news last week that Miller has amicably stepped down from directing the Deadpool sequel over creative differences with Ryan Reynolds. Miller will also be collaborating with longtime Blur Studio coworker Jeff Fowler, who will be making his directorial with the Sonic movie, with Fast and Furious and 21 Jump Street producer Neal H. Moritz producing the film as well.
Moritz is one of several producers on board the project, which also includes Takeshi Ito and Mie Onishi from Marza, the same studio that handles CG cutscenes for many of SEGA’s games (from Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity onward for the franchise). Marza also collaborated with Toei Animation to animate the Space Pirate Captain Harlock movie, as well as Capcom for the upcoming Resident Evil: Vendetta. Dmitri Johnson and Dan Jevons of DJ2 Entertainment are also on board as co-producers, with Toby Ascher joining as another executive producer.
Josh Miller—known as the creator Golan the Insatiable and executive producer for the Oscar award-winning short Gopher Broke (which Fowler wrote and directed)—and Patrick Casey are confirmed as the family film’s writers, seemingly replacing Evan Susser and Van Robicheaux for the roles. Andrea Giannetti is still on board as overseer for Sony Pictures Entertainment.
If you’d like to know more about the filmographies of those confirmed to be working on the Sonic the Hedgehog movie, you can check out TimmiT’s roundup post over at Sonic Retro for more information!
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
NO WAY! O.O
Putting the words Deadpool, Sonic and movie in the same sentence practically means instant delirium for a fan’s mind!!!
Mind blown if they can create this movie with a comedy sense of deadpool but for kids I will waste every cent I have to watch it.
I’m cautiously pessimistic about this.
Nothing revealed about this movie since it’s announcement has given me even an inkling of hope of this not being a disaster, and this doesn’t alleviate my fears in the slightest.
This is interesting. My biggest concern is the fact that it’s a live-action/CGI combo. Is there really a reason for it? Sonic and his friends are definitely going to be CGI, and the last time they tried to make Eggman look realistic… *shudder*. I think a Sonic movie would work better as just animation. However, I’ll wait for a teaser trailer before I start forming any sort of opinion on the movie.
….What?
And also….What?
deadpool…fast and furious…21 jump street….producing sonic movie…
Hey. Look on the bright side. At least it will be a cool popcorn film.
Why do people always confuse the directors for the writers of films.
Whenever a film bombs, the directors get blamed for it. But some of us don’t even know why.
So if the film turns out the be good (or bad), we can’t give all credit to just the director. The writers also play a key part in all of this.
From one smart-mouthed 4th wall breaker to another. This could be interesting.
No 4th walls are ever harmed in the making of a Sonic story.
Welp, guess I’ll just have to add this to my ever growing bag of faith, like the trick or treater at heart that I am. X3
I seriously don’t understand the pessimism. Is everyone just TERRIFIED of being excited about Sonic now? I’m just happy that the movie’s got actual ‘big’ people behind it? Not some randoms that nobody’s ever heard of (although that’s not necessarily a bad thing either). Big people means it will get attention, and of course is more likely to be good in the hands of experienced people. IMO I am so surprised and I think it’s awesome that people who have worked on successful Hollywood films even give a crap about our blue blur!
Although ‘executive producer’ doesn’t necessarily mean heaps of creative input, I am so excited for this film and just so glad we’ve got more news for it finally!
Update: I just read that Miller is co-writing the script – so it seems that there is indeed a lot of creative input O.o
Ok I can’t read – it’s JOSH not TIM Miller writing.
EITHER way, I am super excited.
Awesome news.
I don’t understand the ridiculous moaning about this movie. It’s live action because it will likely sell way more tickets than CGI. They’ll be looking at this as another Transformers, Turtles etc. franchise.
It will obviously follow an Adventure/X type storyline where Sonic and the gang come to Earth to stop Eggman from doing something or other with Emeralds. It’ll hopefully be a fun summer blockbuster which will exist outside of the game’s cannon.
I’ve wanted a movie since 1991. I’m glad it’s happening.
You’ve had it sir. Sonic OVA ring any bells? It not that bad either. Maybe the writers for this upcoming movie should take a few notes from the ova?
I bough that on VHS the day it came out, after wanting to see it so badly since Sonic Jam. I must have watched that trailer a million times.
It was… okay… I guess (despite the weird voices and setting) but a movie, it was not. Straight to video animation lasting about 50 minutes doesn’t cut it for me! It was just a OVA remarketed for Western audiences.
Some great scenes of Sonic running around and fighter though, so you’re right – it would be good to take influence from that.
IMO in an ideal world, it would be a high-end Japanese anime movie with a Western release but I guess Sonic stopped being Japanese about 12 years ago.
I’m still psyched for this. It’ll do! I still get to see high budget Sonic in the cinema.
I think it is somewhat redeemed by some of the great quotes that it made. I agree though, a better movie would be nice. “Strange, Isn’t it?”
That’s not a movie, those are just two episodes of an unreleased cartoon and they certainly feel like it, it was probably a failed pitch for a japanese Sonic series.
I think you kind of just explained why people are wary of the live-action component; Transformers and TMNT sucked! Maybe it will draw in a larger crowd but live action/ cgi films have a pattern of disappointing their respective fanbase.
Transformers and TNMT (the first one anyway) kinda suck yeah… but each TF makes BILLIONS so you know why they’d want that kind of franchise.
Honestly, if I can switch my brain off for a few hours and watch a high budget Sonic action movie on par with Transformers or TMNT I’m down with that. As long as they don’t screw around with the origins and lore* and it’s fun and loud and explosiony that that’s good enough, surely? I don’t know what more it could be?
An anime movie or CGI would be better, but I think a live action one will be more successful.
You know he’s going to look hideous though, like Garfield and all the other CGI creatures they try and blend into the real world lol.
* They’re totally going to screw these things up, aren’t they?
Personally this got me a little more excited about this movie, I have nothing but respect towards Blur Studios and their work, they really bring amazing cinematography to the world of videogames so I’m excited about Jeff Fowler directing this even if it will be his directional debut.
Also I loved Deadpool, both for its humor and action pieces, as the reports say Tim Miller left because he wanted to make a less raunchy and more stylized sequel, which I don’t think favors Deadpool but it certainly favors other franchises like Sonic.
On top of that Marza is still closely working with the movie and they do have a lot of experience in representing Sonic in a very cinematic way, and I don’t know about you guys but the fact that the team behind the movie is so unconventional gives me hopes for it, hope we get more info soon!
Sonic directed by Deadpool’s director? *groan*
…..but they should still change the format from hybrid to full CGI…because seriously!!!
Wow, that fight with Ryan Reynolds must’ve fucked Miller up something fierce if he’s stooped this low.
i wouldnt know what his quality is like since i really dont like the Deadpool character and marketing.
As a fan of Deadpool I think the movie was very good and the marketing brilliant!
But for what is worth I can tell you Tim Miller made a very faithful adaptation of the Deadpool comic, here I’m hoping he does the same for Sonic, preferably for how the franchise and characters were from Sonic Adventure to Black Knight as I think that would translate better to a movie.
People are really pissing and moaning about this? I don’t see why. This is only good news to me, and it really gives me hope that maybe this film will have a lot more redeeming qualities than other films of its nature. I’m not sure what is so bad about Mr. Miller working on this.
This project’s still a thing?
Sweet their adding Sonic Riders CG animation & Sonic Riders Zero Gravity CG animation this is great.
Yeah I can’t wait I’m gonna save my money to go to the movie Sega I love you don’t disappoint the fans
I can see this movie now. Some celeb who needs a paycheck plays some nerdy Sonic fan who can’t get his life together and wants some hot chick to date him. One night Sonic and friends bust out of his old Genesis looking like some combination of the Boom characters and that thing from the fan film. They’ll have miscast celebrity voices and only be in a third of the movie because the movie focuses on the lead getting his life together and getting the girl. Sonic and friends will make pop culture references and fart jokes. The Chao will be minion backwash. We’ll have a cool third act battle and shameless sequel baiting. Remember this post and see how right I am.
I never thought I would ever read an article that featured my two most favorite characters.
Can’t wait to see it!!!! 😀