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Deadpool Director Tim Miller Develops Sonic the Hedgehog Film

Tim Miller, the Deadpool film director who left the production of the Deadpool sequel last month, is developing the planned hybrid CG/live-action film of the Sonic the Hedgehog games. Miller is serving as the executive producer, while Jeff Fowler, an animator and producer at Miller's Blur Studio, would make his feature directorial debut on the project. Patrick Casey and Josh Miller (Golan the Insatiable) are writing the script.

Sony Pictures and Marza Animation Planet, the wholly owned Sega Sammy Holdings subsidiary that made the Captain Harlock CG-animated film, are producing the project. Neal H. Moritz (the Fast and Furious films) is producing with Marza Animation Planet's Takeshi Ito and Mie Onishi. Toby Ascher is also serving as an executive producer, and Dmitri Johnson and Dan Jevons of DJ2 Entertainment are co-producers. Andrea Giannetti is overseeing the project for Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Fowler wrote and directed "Gopher Broke," which was nominated for a best animated short in the Academy Awards in 2005, and Miller was also the executive producer on that project. The two have been developing an animated adaptation of The Goon comic with David Fincher.

The Hollywood Reporter magazine previously reported in 2014 that the hybrid Sonic film was in the works. The magazine said at the time that Evan Susser and Van Robichaux (both former members of the Upright Citizens Brigade sketch comedy troupe) were writing the screenplay, and that the film would include the villain character Dr. Eggman. Sega Sammy Holdings president and CEO Hajime Satomi said this past February that the hybrid film was slated for 2018.

The CG-animated Sonic Boom series, produced by France's OuiDo! Productions, premiered on Cartoon Network in 2014 and was accompanied by two new games: Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric for Wii U and Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal for Nintendo 3DS. Another 3DS game, Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice shipped in September.

The game previously inspired three television animated series from the American company DiC Entertainment. Sega released an original video animation (OVA) titled Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie in 1996, and ADV Films released it on DVD and VHS. Japan's TMS Entertainment produced the Sonic X television anime series in 2003.

Sega announced at the "Sonic 25th Anniversary Party" at Comic Con International in July that it is releasing a new Sonic the Hedgehog game for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC in the 2017 holiday season. In addition, the Sonic Mania game for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC that will arrive next spring.

Thanks to Daniel Zelter for the news tip

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

Update: Nintendo Switch's finalized name added. Thanks, Björn Walther