A resident of HBO’s Westworld is making his way to Green Hill Zone.
Variety reports actor James Marsden has landed the lead role in the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog film, a live-action/CGI hybrid adaptation of the popular SEGA video game series.
Earlier today, ThatHashtagShow reported that comedic actors Jack Black, Jason Segal, Owen Wilson and Ed Helms were all being eyed for the film’s lead role of Tom, a “sarcastic” cop who becomes friends with the titular hedgehog as the two team up to take down Dr. Eggman.
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As of yesterday, actor Paul Rudd was also being considered for the role of Tom, but is now apparently out of the running, Paramount told the website. The film is reported to start filming in July with a budget of $90 million, with the official plot being kept a secret for now.
Set for release in 2019, Sonic the Hedgehog will be the directorial debut of Jeff Fowler, with a script from Patrick Casey and Josh Miller (12 Deadly Days). Deadpool‘s Tim Miller will serve as executive producer.
A solo film about the iconic hedgehog has been in the works since at least 2014, when Paramount was pitched the project. Sonic previously appeared in 2012’s Wreck-It Ralph with his longtime adversary Dr. Eggman, and briefly in 2018’s Ready Player One as an Oasis avatar.
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As far as video game rivalries go, Nintendo’s Super Mario is also headed to the big screen, with an animated film from Illumination Entertainment (Minions, Despicable Me) also in the works. There’s also Detective Pikachu, the live-action/CGI influenced Pokemon film starring Ryan Reynolds and Ken Watanabe.