Welcome to the Archive site of The Sonic Stadium (2008-2023)
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It only feels like last year that the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 movie graced our cinemas (editor’s note: it was last year!), but the long-awaited vinyl release of the Hollywood sequel’s soundtrack has finally gone on sale. And record label Enjoy the Ride has launched with several colourful pressings as well as a limited test pressing.
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The end of 2022 is now upon us. And boy, what a year it has been! After spending Sonic’s 30th Anniversary mostly waiting for trailers, watching online events and experiencing strange mobile crossovers, it finally feels like this year has been the big global celebration of the blue blur that the decades-long franchise fully deserved.
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The second Sonic the Hedgehog movie is (finally) about to be released to cinemas in Japan, and there’s been plenty of hype building up in the country as they get to see Sonic and Knuckles in live action. An interview with a producer at SEGA discusses the success of the first movie – and interestingly appears to suggest a release window for the upcoming Netflix series ‘Sonic Prime’ as well.
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The second Sonic the Hedgehog Movie is absolutely jam-packed with references to the games and even a nod to one of Ben Schwartz’s previous shows, Parks and Recreation. In addition to these, there are a plethora of movie references and tropes featuring throughout the 2-hour run time. While some of these are very obvious (such as Officer Wade Whipple’s referral to Ghostbusters’ infamous candy Kaiju, The Stay Puft Marshmallow Man), some will only have been spotted by the most avid movie buffs! Below are our 7 favourite subtle movie references in Sonic’s latest cinema outing…
Be warned – movie spoilers ahead!!!
Klaatu Barada Nikto!
Before Knuckles makes his appearance through the ring, Dr Robotnik welcomes the three nameless warriors with the very strange greetings of “Klaatu Barada Nikto!”. Classic sci-fi fans will know this as the famous phrase that originated in the 1951 film The Day the Earth Stood Still – uttered to pacify the giant robot Gort and prevent him from destroying the world. Ironic considering the final act of the movie!
That Slide
Sonic sets about trashing the Wachowski household minutes after Tom and Maddie depart for Hawaii, starting with a slide into the living room with his back to the camera. Those with a keen knowledge of 80’s coming-of-age flicks will recognise this as a homage to the underwear dance scene from 1983’s Risky Business performed by a young Tom Cruise, in which Cruise’s character Joel has also just been left home alone in his parents’ house.
Witching Hour
Margaret Hamilton, the mother of Hamilton Meserve, plays the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz.
When Robotnik returns to Earth at night and confronts Sonic in the Wachowski house he threatens Sonic, finishing his line with “…AND YOUR LITTLE DOG TOO!”. The quote references the threat given by the Wicked Witch of the West to Dorothy in the 1939 classic The Wizard of Oz. The threat is often used as a trope when a villain wants to prove how evil they are.
The name of the Wachowski family dog? Ozzy, of course.
Cast Away
Robotnik’s descent into complete madness when he is exiled to the Mushroom Planet is staved off when he creates a replica Agent Stone out of, well, a stone. This bears semblance to 2000’s Cast Away, in which Tom Hank’s character Chuck creates an inanimate companion, Wilson, from a flotsam Volleyball after being marooned on a remote uninhabited island.
“It’s derivative!”
Knuckles and Robotnik’s navigation through the Labyrinth Zone sees the two antagonists chased down corridor by a huge boulder. While this has most certainly become an adventure movie and video game trope, the idea originated in Raiders of the Lost Ark, the first Indiana Jones movie. The trope doesn’t go unnoticed by Robotnik, as he says “I refuse to die like this; it’s derivative!”
The 8th Wonder
During the fight between our heroes and the Death Egg Robot and shortly before the destruction of the biplane, Robotnik begins to mockingly swipe at Tails as he manoeuvres around the mechanical juggernaut. This is of course a tribute to the 1933 classic King Kong, in which the final scene sees the colossus batting away attacking Curtis Helldiver biplanes.
Home Run
The second Sonic movie ends where the first started in the Green Hills baseball field, with our protagonist getting his wish of having others to play with. After Knuckles’ “Power bump” that sees him hit a home run, a familiar horn riff plays as declares his conquering of the bases. Soundtrack enthusiasts will recognise this as the theme to 1983’s The Natural, Barry Levinson’s love letter to one of America’s favourite sports.
Have we missed any subtle movie references in Sonic 2? Let us know in the comments!
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Today is the big day for Sonic fans around the UK, as the sequel to the 2020 smash-hit movie ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ finally opens in cinemas across the four nations. To celebrate the release of the film, Paramount UK has produced a special ‘British Edition’ of the action-packed blockbuster, to appeal to the regional audience.
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Paramount Pictures has announced that it has halted the theatrical releases of all of its upcoming feature films, including Sonic the Hedgehog 2, in Russia. The confirmation from the studio comes following mainstream news reports of Russian forces invading Ukraine last week.
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It’s National Coffee Day, apparently, and the Sonic Movie twitter account decided to mark the occasion with a tweet featuring latte art revealing that Lee Majdoub would be returning in the Sonic movie sequel as Dr. Robotnik’s loyal henchman, Agent Stone.
This isn’t terribly surprising, as he was spotted on set months ago, but I guess it’s official now. Check out the latte art below!
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A listing on Penguin Random House’s website reveals that IDW comics are planning to release a mini series covering Sonic’s adventures between the first and second movies!
According to the pre-order page for the Official Movie “Pre-quill” (this listing is for a collection of what will comprise the comic series in it’s entirity), the 4-part mini series will cover the antics of Sonic, Tom, and Maddie, in the run-up to the second movie, due out in 2022.
From the source:
Catch up with Sonic and friends—if you can!—in this exclusive prequel to 2022’s most anticipated family film!
Life is good in Green Hills for Sonic the Hedgehog. Maybe too good. He’s starting to get bored, and when Sonic gets bored, things become a lot less boring for everyone else—fast!
Quicker than you can say “Chili Dog,” the Fastest Thing Alive is saving the day and causing all sorts of chaos along the way! Can Tom and Maddie help him keep his secrets now that he’s gotten a taste for heroics? Plus, new and returning characters starring in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 take the lead in stories of their own!
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Even though filming has wrapped over in Vancouver, work on the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Movie seems to be continuing in Hawaii, with new set photos suggesting that filming will be taking place today in rather… contrasting climates.
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The Sonic Stadium may link to retailers and earn a small commission on purchases made from users who click those links. These links will only appear in articles related to the product, in an unobtrusive manner, and do not influence our editorial decisions in any way.
Unlike Sonic, he doesn’t chuckle, but he does have something else that is more in common with him. Knuckles, Sonic, and Tails have been spotted on the Sonic Movie 2 set!
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Following on from the flurry of movie news this week, Radio Station Jack 96.9 Vancouver has spotted the Ace Ventura actor, complete with bald head, suspended over the town of Fort Langley, currently dressed as the Sonic Movie town Green Hills.
We can only guess as to what might be happening in this scene…but we sure can’t wait to find out!
Stay tuned for more Sonic 2 movie news!
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Hollywood North Buzz has spotted a military presence on the set of the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 movie – and it’s none other than the military organisation G.U.N. that featured in Sonic Adventure 2, Shadow the Hedgehog, and Sonic X!
The helicopter’s decals display the alpha-numeric SA-2 – the same designation of the helicopter that was transporting Sonic at the beginning of Sonic Adventure 2!
Talk about low budget flights!
This is yet another set of subtle game references that is sure to get the thumbs up from any seasoned Sonic fan.
Stay tuned for more Sonic 2 movie news!
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If you live in the US and need a reason to subscribe to yet another entertainment streaming service, you might be tempted by Paramount’s new platform as the Sonic the Hedgehog movie will soon be available on Paramount Plus.
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So, the Sonic the Hedgehog movie is about a year old now. Like many, I was absolutely surprised to see that it wasn’t a train wreck. I actually rather enjoyed it! With a sequel on the horizon, there are many things I’d like to see, as well as a few things I hope I don’t.
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US toy manufacturer Jakks Pacific has announced a partnership with SEGA and Paramount Pictures to produce official Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Movie merchandise. This is a global toy rights partnership that covers practically everything from “action figures, playsets, vehicles, plush toys, collectibles” to even Halloween costumes.
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The Sonic Stadium may link to retailers and earn a small commission on purchases made from users who click those links. These links will only appear in articles related to the product, in an unobtrusive manner, and do not influence our editorial decisions in any way.
If a new rumor is to be believed, Knuckles the Echidna might be appearing in the Sonic 2 movie. The role will apparently be rather prominent, not something akin to the Tails cameo the last movie had. Knuckles will also share traits with his video game incarnation, including his ability to glide and climb. He will also be serious, but gullible, which…certainly is an accurate description of Knuckles.
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We now have the first concrete details of the Sonic Movie sequel’s active production, after Paramount confirmed in May that it was being worked on. According to newly-filed documents with a Canadian film board, Sonic Movie 2 – codenamed ‘Emerald Hill’ – will start production from March 2021.
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