REDEEM AT PARAMOUNTDIGITALCOPY.COM. YOU WILL HAVE TO CHOOSE VUDU OR ITUNES. IT WILL NOT TRANSFER TO MOVIES ANYWHERE. (RATED PG) \n \nSonic the Hedgehog[b] is a 2020 American-Japanese action-adventure comedy film based on the video game franchise published by Sega. The film is directed by Jeff Fowler in his feature directorial debut and written by Pat Casey and Josh Miller. It stars Ben Schwartz as the voice of Sonic the Hedgehog and Jim Carrey as Doctor Robotnik, as well as James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, Natasha Rothwell, Adam Pally, and Neal McDonough. In the film, Sonic teams up with local town sheriff Tom Wachowski to find his lost rings and escape Dr. Robotnik. \n \nDevelopment for a film began in the 1990s, but did not go beyond the planning stage until Sony Pictures acquired the film rights in 2013. Production involved the collaboration of Sega Sammy's Japanese studio Marza Animation Planet, with Fowler brought in to direct in 2016. After Sony put the project in turnaround, Paramount Pictures acquired it in 2017. The majority of the cast signed on by August 2018, and principal filming took place between September and October that year in Vancouver and on Vancouver Island. Following the negative reaction to the first trailer in 2019, the film's release was delayed by three months to redesign Sonic. \n \nSonic the Hedgehog premiered at the Paramount Theatre on January 25, 2020, and was theatrically released in the United States on February 14, 2020. Critics praised the performances, Sonic's design, and its faithfulness to the source material, but criticized its plot and perceived lack of originality.[11][12] The film set the record for the biggest opening weekend for a video game film in the United States and Canada. It grossed $306 million worldwide, becoming the second highest-grossing film of 2020,[13] and the highest-grossing video game film adaptation of all time in North America.