Tim Miller to Produce SONIC THE HEDGEHOG

Fresh off the news that director Tim Miller would no longer be in the captain’s chair for Deadpool 2, word comes via The Hollywood Reporter that he’s now working with Sony to develop a film adaptation of Sonic the Hedgehog.

Sony Pictures will work with Miller and his Blur Studio partner Jeff Fowler for the CG/live-action combo film based on the popular series of video games produced by Sega. Fowler is set to make his directorial debut. The two will produce along with Neal H. Moritz of the Fast and Furious movies, and Miller will also executive produce.

Miller says, “Jeff is an incredible director with strong story instincts. The world of Sonic presents the perfect opportunity for him to leverage his experience in animation to bring new dimension to this iconic character.” The two were nominated for an Oscar in 2005 for their short animated film Gopher Broke.

Sonic made his debut in 1991, and he quickly became one of the most recognizable video game characters. More than 350 million copies of the games have sold worldwide. The story centers around Sonic and his friends as they race around the game world as they fight to foil the world-domination plots of Doctor Ivo “Eggman” Robotnik. The villain’s goal is to collect the powerful Chaos Emeralds and rule the world.

The first Sonic was a platform game originally developed so Sega could have a mascot. Wildly successful, it has spawned a franchise spanning at least twenty-three game titles, including two set for 2017: Sonic Mania and Project Sonic 2017. The character has also appeared in other media and crossover games with characters such as Mario from the Nintendo franchise.

The new Sonic the Hedgehog runs into theaters in 2018.