A fundamental part of the franchise Sonic is the hedgehog’s relationship with Tom and Maddie Wachowski, his parents in the films. In an interview with CNNthe duo that plays the characters, James Marsden (“Enchanted”) and Tika Sumpter,(“Michelle and Obama”), respectively, told how the character evolved throughout the films — both on and off the screen.
“In the beginning, Sonic enters their lives in an intense way, and we don’t really know how to deal with him. But quickly the dynamic between us and him evolves into a family relationship,” says Marsden. “Tom and Maddie also teach how to guide and care for him. Now, in ”, the feeling that remains is that of a raised child leaving for college.”
If the character’s evolution is noticeable on screen, outside of them the change was even more striking. “In the first film, Sonic was represented by a tennis ball on the set; then we used sandbags and things like that”, recalls Sumpter about what it was like to act with the character, created through .
“We used to step on it,” joked Marsden. “In the second film, they already had a huge cut of the character,” continued Sumpter.
In the third film, the object that gave life to the character was more sophisticated. “This time, we used an incredible doll, which allowed us to interact with him in a more emotional way. We had people controlling the puppets and acting as if they were the characters. It was really cool, almost like a playground for adults.”
, Sonic, Knuckles and Tails team up to face a fearsome enemy: Shadow, a mysterious villain with unprecedented powers, totally different from the challenges they have already faced. Using their unique abilities, Team Sonic will attempt to form an unexpected alliance with the goal of defeating Shadow and saving the planet.
e James Marsden reprise their roles as Dr. Robotnik and Tom Wachowski, while , and Colleen O’Shaughnessey return to voice Sonic, Knuckles and Tails, respectively.
The big news comes from , who will be responsible for voicing the character Shadow. “Sonic 3: The Movie” hits theaters this Wednesday (25).
Watch the trailer for “Sonic 3: The Movie”:
