Jim Carrey Is Wearing Wild Hair But This Is His Best Film And It’s A Streaming Hit
Jim Carrey's Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is in the top ten most-watched movies on Paramount+.
Video games being given the big screen treatment can always be hit or miss – just look at the flop that was the live-action 1993 film Super Mario Bros. and the recently released animated feature, The Super Mario Bros. Movie. But Paramount certainly knew what they were doing when they cast Jim Carrey as one of the most iconic video game villains in both 2020’s Sonic the Hedgehog and its 2022 follow-up Sonic the Hedgehog 2. The latter is currently dominating the studio’s streamer, Paramount+, where FlixPatrol reports the film is currently sitting in the #5 position.
Not only did the team behind the Sonic film adaptation cast megastar Jim Carrey as the mastermind villain Dr. Robotnik, but they filled out their live-action call sheet with huge names including James Marsden (Jury Duty), Tika Sumpter (Ride Along), Natasha Rothwell (The White Lotus), and Adam Pally (The Mindy Project). As for the voice of the titular speedster, the production signed Parks and Recreation star Ben Schwartz with The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes voice actress Colleen O’Shaughnessey teaming up beside him as Tails. The second feature would also introduce Luther star Idris Elba as Knuckles.
With filmmaker Jeff Fowler returning to direct, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 picks up with our heroes relaxing and enjoying a life of semi-leisure in Green Hills. Although they thought they destroyed Jim Carrey’s Doctor Robotnik in the first film, the zany and sinister bad guy is back for more and has brought Knuckles along with him to find the coveted Master Emerald and wipe out Sonic and his friends for good. Like the first feature, the sequel opened to eager audiences who drove the box office sales to $405.4 million against the project’s $90-110 million budget.
With all the love from audiences and critics, it was a no-brainer that Sonic 3 would be announced shortly after the second film. Adding the cherry on top for longtime fans of the games, due to the love for Idris Elba’s Knuckles, the character will also be receiving his very own spin-off series which is expected to arrive later this year. As for what audiences can expect from the franchise’s third installment, while Ben Schwartz is up for the task of continuing Sonic’s story, Jim Carrey isn’t so sure yet.
Last spring, the legendary comedian, who made a name for himself starring in films like Peggy Sue Got Married, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, and Dumb and Dumber, announced that his time in Hollywood was over and that he would be retiring. While the news came as a shock to many, the real surprise is that this would mean that Sonic 2 could potentially be his final film. It was an abrupt end for a man who has had such a lengthy career in the entertainment biz, not giving his loyal fandom much of a heads-up.
While other performers will typically give their retirement announcement ahead of their last project, Jim Carrey’s big reveal came at the tail end of Sonic 2’s theatrical release, meaning that viewers hoped to catch what could be their last glimpse of the Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind star doing his thing. Although it would be a crushing blow for Sonic 2 to be Carrey’s final film performance, the role of Dr. Robotnik would be a perfect one for him to bow out on given his penchant for playing wacky and over-the-top characters.
As for the villain’s life beyond Jim Carrey and his appearance in future films, producers Neal H. Moritz and Toby Ascher have said that should this really be the end for Carrey’s time as the diabolical character, they didn’t have plans to recast him, which would leave Dr. Robotnik out of any titles beyond Carrey’s tenure. Like the actor’s dedicated fandom, both Moritz and Ascher hope that their script will be good enough to draw him back into the role for at least one final performance. As for Ben Schwartz, he was ready to give Sonic another go before even reading the third film’s script with other members of the cast yet to be revealed.
With plot details being kept under wraps and the return of Jim Carrey and Dr. Robotnik up in the air, it’s anyone’s guess what lies in store for Sonic, Tails, and the rest of the gang in the next flick. Expected to land in theaters on December 20, 2024, the clock is already ticking for Carrey to make one of the biggest decisions of his career.
