One movie genre that has consistently had trouble in theaters is video game adaptations. While games have been able to entertain audiences for decades, adapting them for film has proven nearly impossible. Countless video game movies have failed to impress in theaters, and we've got another one coming down the pipeline with Jeff Fowler's Sonic the Hedgehog. The movie already faced plenty of backlash for the title character's original appearance, although that hasn't stopped star Ben Schwartz from getting jazzed about its release.
Ben Schwartz is perhaps best known for playing Jean-Ralphio Saperstein on Parks & Recreation, but he's also done plenty of voice work. After helping to bring BB-8 to life in The Force Awakens, he got a dream job to voice Sonic the Hedgehog in his first live-action movie. The character's new design was revealed with a new trailer, and Schwartz posted about his excitement on social media. Check it out below.
Despite the original backlash that came upon Sonic the Hedgehog, Ben Schwartz is still very excited for the movie to hit theaters come February. Because while he could have simply just posted the new trailer, he penned a touching caption about how much the movie, and role, mean to him.
Ben Schwartz' recent tweet might give faith to to the Sonic fans who are nervous about his upcoming live-action adaptation. Even though there's an impressive starring cast, there has always been some trepidation when it comes to Sonic the Hedgehog. This is partly to the poor history of the video game subgenre has had in theaters, but largely due to the title character's appearance in the original trailer.
The movie's first trailer arrived back in April, it went viral for all the wrong things. Sonic's appearance was quite different from his usual look from the games, and fans weren't happy. This biggest issue seemed to be with the size of his eyes, as well as the character's long legs and human teeth. The backlash was so severe that Paramount did an about-face, promising to redesign the blue guy for Sonic the Hedgehog.
The studio delivered what it promised with the new trailer for Sonic, featuring a more video game accurate version of Ben Schwartz's protagonist. The new clips also featured some of the character's iconic music, and heavily featured Schwartz's signature quick talking and comedic timing. Things are definitely looking up, so perhaps the actor's enthusiasm will help build anticipation.
Related: Sonic The Hedgehog Movie: All The Changes Made For His Redesign
Joining Ben Schwartz in Sonic the Hedgehog are Jim Carrey as the villainous Dr. Ivo Robotnik. Additionally, James Marsden will play Sheriff Tom Wachowski, who will become Sonic's ally in the upcoming blockbuster. The movie has some strong comedic talent on board, so hopefully the script will properly service both the iconic characters and cast itself.
Sonic the Hedgehog will hit theaters on February 14, 2020. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies. And our 2020 release list to look ahead toward the New Year.
