It can be hard to explain the popularity of Sonic the Hedgehog to the uninitiated. Sure, the character has fronted one of the most popular video game series running since 1991, but over the past three decades, it’s become so much bigger. Across film, television, comics and more, the blue alien speedster has built one of the most passionate fanbases for any media property – not to mention one of the most formidable.
That much was clear this week, when Sonic the Hedgehog 3, the latest film in the franchise, which will be released in Middle East cinemas on Thursday, dominated the US holiday box office in its opening weekend, earning more than double the domestic gross of the second-place film, Mufasa: The Lion King. It’s the latest staggering win for a property that continues to defy expectations, with the first two films also doing surprisingly big business in 2020 and 2022 respectively.
“It feels like I’m part of something special, and I can feel it getting bigger,” actor and comedian Ben Schwartz, who plays Sonic in the films, tells The National. “I was walking around in the Los Angeles Zoo yesterday, and there was a kid dressed up as Sonic, a kid dressed up as Shadow, a kid dressed up as Knuckles. There were kids with Sonic hats and Sonic backpacks. It feels massive for the next generation.”
“To think that I’m the way that these kids are being introduced to Sonic, when these games were my entire life growing up is hard to fathom. I feel so lucky. And honestly I’m just glad that when my mom and dad meet somebody and ask what does your kid does, they say, ‘have you heard of Sonic the Hedgehog?’ they say yes far more often than they did when they’d say, ‘have you heard of stand-up comedy?’”
It's easy to see why Schwartz feels so bowled over by Sonic the Hedgehog’s current success considering how this journey began for him. Six years ago, Schwartz offered to do the test voice for the character while the studio worked on early footage, expecting to be replaced by another actor for the final release. But the filmmakers liked him so much they gave him the role.
“I just liked the franchise,” Schwartz reflects. “I said, ‘yeah, I’ll do it for you guys. If you use me, great. If not, at least I got to tell everybody that I tested for Sonic. And then I got it, and the movie ended up being so big. To think I get to keep getting on this ride is crazy to me.”
While the series has grown to now include many of the game's popular characters such as Tails (Colleen O'Shaughnessey), Knuckles (Idris Elba) and Shadow (Keanu Reeves), the films have been grounded in the chemistry between Schwartz and his human friend Tom Wachowski, played by James Marsden (X-Men, The Notebook, Enchanted).
Because Marsden films the live-action sequences and Schwartz’s voice is recorded later before the animated Sonic is added, the two never actually spend time together on set. While usually in the film world this would mean the two actors never interact, the two take it upon themselves to collaborate after-hours, getting on Zoom and phone calls to iron out the scenes.
“We have long heart to hearts. For serious scenes, Ben and I will get on the phone and say, ‘how do we make this really effective, and earnest without being overly earnest? And what would you think if I did this or this?’” says Marsden. “I feel like we figured out a way of feeling really connected, even though we’re so disconnected.”
Schwartz doesn’t have that kind of relationship with all his cast members, though. In the case of Reeves, who joins the cast for the third film as Shadow the Hedgehog, a hugely popular character who joined the game franchise with Sonic Adventure 2 in 2001, he was improvising with an actor he never met.
“Often times, I’ll record my lines, and then I’ll hear Keanu do his lines, and then I’ll go back and improvise a bit off of what Keanu has done. I’m very curious what’s going to happen when I’m finally in the room with John Wick,” says Schwartz. “I’m hoping I get the chance to sit next to him and hear Keanu tell stories all day.”
The on-set experience has also evolved over the three films. On the first, Sonic was just a tennis ball on set the cast had to talk to, Tika Sumpter, who plays Tom’s wife Maddie, explains. By the third, they had puppeteers who would act with them in the scene and be edited out later.
“We really levelled up in this movie,” says Sumpter. “The puppeteers made it feel more real and made us more present, as they were right in front of us.”
And while the assortment of animal characters may each have earned cult followings that fuel the franchise’s rise, the secret weapon of the film series has been Jim Carrey, who plays the villainous Dr Robotnik. During the press tour for the second film, Carrey announced he planned on retiring, which struck a major blow to future plans.
“It was emotional. Not only were we losing one of the greatest comedic actors of all time, we were also losing a core character,” says Schwartz. “But his legacy has been cemented for decades. He’s earned the right to stop whenever he wants. We just are so lucky he took the risk to do this with us from the beginning, because we had no idea what this movie was going to be.”
Luckily, director Jeff Fowler was able to entice Carrey back into the fold.
“We’ve always treated Robotnik as if he’s an orphan with a chip on his shoulder. But we wondered, what if a grandfather just walked out of the shadows? How would that change him? I think that was really interesting to Jim, as it was for all of us,” says Fowler. “And it ended up proving to be a big challenge for him, as he took on both roles and had to play two sides of the same scene. It was a tremendous amount of work, but Jim is a phenomenal talent.”
And it seems that, after three films, this franchise is just getting started. The third film ends by upping the ante even more than the last two, setting up bigger things in the fourth film and beyond.
“I hope we get another one. Because I can tell you this – it’s going to be bananas,” says Schwartz.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 will be released in cinemas across the Middle East on Thursday
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
Defending champions
World Series: South Africa
Women’s World Series: Australia
Gulf Men’s League: Dubai Exiles
Gulf Men’s Social: Mediclinic Barrelhouse Warriors
Gulf Vets: Jebel Ali Dragons Veterans
Gulf Women: Dubai Sports City Eagles
Gulf Under 19: British School Al Khubairat
Gulf Under 19 Girls: Dubai Exiles
UAE National Schools: Al Safa School
International Invitational: Speranza 22
International Vets: Joining Jack
Normcore explained
Something of a fashion anomaly, normcore is essentially a celebration of the unremarkable. The term was first popularised by an article in New York magazine in 2014 and has been dubbed “ugly”, “bland’ and "anti-style" by fashion writers. It’s hallmarks are comfort, a lack of pretentiousness and neutrality – it is a trend for those who would rather not stand out from the crowd. For the most part, the style is unisex, favouring loose silhouettes, thrift-shop threads, baseball caps and boyish trainers. It is important to note that normcore is not synonymous with cheapness or low quality; there are high-fashion brands, including Parisian label Vetements, that specialise in this style. Embraced by fashion-forward street-style stars around the globe, it’s uptake in the UAE has been relatively slow.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
Mazen Abukhater, principal and actuary at global consultancy Mercer, Middle East, says the company’s Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index - which benchmarks 34 pension schemes across the globe to assess their adequacy, sustainability and integrity - included Saudi Arabia for the first time this year to offer a glimpse into the region.
The index highlighted fundamental issues for all 34 countries, such as a rapid ageing population and a low growth / low interest environment putting pressure on expected returns. It also highlighted the increasing popularity around the world of defined contribution schemes.
“Average life expectancy has been increasing by about three years every 10 years. Someone born in 1947 is expected to live until 85 whereas someone born in 2007 is expected to live to 103,” Mr Abukhater told the Mena Pensions Conference.
“Are our systems equipped to handle these kind of life expectancies in the future? If so many people retire at 60, they are going to be in retirement for 43 years – so we need to adapt our retirement age to our changing life expectancy.”
Saudi Arabia came in the middle of Mercer’s ranking with a score of 58.9. The report said the country's index could be raised by improving the minimum level of support for the poorest aged individuals and increasing the labour force participation rate at older ages as life expectancies rise.
Mr Abukhater said the challenges of an ageing population, increased life expectancy and some individuals relying solely on their government for financial support in their retirement years will put the system under strain.
“To relieve that pressure, governments need to consider whether it is time to switch to a defined contribution scheme so that individuals can supplement their own future with the help of government support,” he said.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
What is Bitcoin?
Bitcoin is the most popular virtual currency in the world. It was created in 2009 as a new way of paying for things that would not be subject to central banks that are capable of devaluing currency. A Bitcoin itself is essentially a line of computer code. It's signed digitally when it goes from one owner to another. There are sustainability concerns around the cryptocurrency, which stem from the process of "mining" that is central to its existence.
The "miners" use computers to make complex calculations that verify transactions in Bitcoin. This uses a tremendous amount of energy via computers and server farms all over the world, which has given rise to concerns about the amount of fossil fuel-dependent electricity used to power the computers.
Essentials
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct from the UAE to Geneva from Dh2,845 return, including taxes. The flight takes 6 hours.
The package
Clinique La Prairie offers a variety of programmes. A six-night Master Detox costs from 14,900 Swiss francs (Dh57,655), including all food, accommodation and a set schedule of medical consultations and spa treatments.
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
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Three tips from La Perle's performers
1 The kind of water athletes drink is important. Gwilym Hooson, a 28-year-old British performer who is currently recovering from knee surgery, found that out when the company was still in Studio City, training for 12 hours a day. “The physio team was like: ‘Why is everyone getting cramps?’ And then they realised we had to add salt and sugar to the water,” he says.
2 A little chocolate is a good thing. “It’s emergency energy,” says Craig Paul Smith, La Perle’s head coach and former Cirque du Soleil performer, gesturing to an almost-empty open box of mini chocolate bars on his desk backstage.
3 Take chances, says Young, who has worked all over the world, including most recently at Dragone’s show in China. “Every time we go out of our comfort zone, we learn a lot about ourselves,” she says.
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How green is the expo nursery?
Some 400,000 shrubs and 13,000 trees in the on-site nursery
An additional 450,000 shrubs and 4,000 trees to be delivered in the months leading up to the expo
Ghaf, date palm, acacia arabica, acacia tortilis, vitex or sage, techoma and the salvadora are just some heat tolerant native plants in the nursery
Approximately 340 species of shrubs and trees selected for diverse landscape
The nursery team works exclusively with organic fertilisers and pesticides
All shrubs and trees supplied by Dubai Municipality
Most sourced from farms, nurseries across the country
Plants and trees are re-potted when they arrive at nursery to give them room to grow
Some mature trees are in open areas or planted within the expo site
Green waste is recycled as compost
Treated sewage effluent supplied by Dubai Municipality is used to meet the majority of the nursery’s irrigation needs
Construction workforce peaked at 40,000 workers
About 65,000 people have signed up to volunteer
Main themes of expo is ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ and three subthemes of opportunity, mobility and sustainability.
Expo 2020 Dubai to open in October 2020 and run for six months
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
