Knuckles (TV series): Difference between revisions
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== Reception == |
== Reception == |
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The [[review aggregator]] [[Rotten Tomatoes]] reported an approval rating of |
The [[review aggregator]] [[Rotten Tomatoes]] reported an approval rating of 86% based on 7 reviews, with an average rating of 6.1/10.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Knuckles: Season 1 {{!}} Rotten Tomatoes |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/knuckles/s01 |access-date=2024-04-22 |website=www.rottentomatoes.com |language=en}}</ref> |
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==See also== |
==See also== |
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Revision as of 15:43, 22 April 2024
| Knuckles | |
|---|---|
 Promotional poster | |
| Genre | |
| Created by |
|
| Based on | Sonic the Hedgehog by Sega[a] |
| Starring | |
| Opening theme | "The Warrior" by Scandal |
| Composer | Tom Howe |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Production companies | |
| Original release | |
| Network | Paramount+ |
| Related | |
| Sonic the Hedgehog film series | |
Knuckles is an upcoming American television miniseries created by John Whittington and Toby Ascher for the streaming service Paramount+, based on the Sonic the Hedgehog video game series published by Sega. It is a spin-off of the Sonic the Hedgehog film series and the first live-action television series in the franchise overall. The series takes place between the events of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022) and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024), and follows Knuckles the Echidna as he trains deputy sheriff Wade Whipple in the ways of the Echidna warrior. Whittington served as head writer, with Ascher as showrunner.
Idris Elba reprised his voice role as Knuckles from the film series and stars alongside Adam Pally, reprising his role as Wade. The series was announced in February 2022 during a ViacomCBS investor event, with Elba on board with the project. Production began in London, England, in April 2023, with Sonic film director Jeff Fowler directing the pilot and further casting announced. Ged Wright, Brandon Trost, Jorma Taccone, and Carol Banker directed the following episodes. Tom Howe composed the series' score.
Knuckles is scheduled to premiere on Paramount+ on April 26, 2024, with all six episodes.
Premise
The series takes place between the events of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022) and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024), and follows Knuckles the Echidna as he trains deputy sheriff Wade Whipple in the ways of the Echidna warrior.[3]
Cast and characters
Main
- Idris Elba as Knuckles the Echidna, a hot-headed and serious anthropomorphic red echidna with super strength. Elba said the series would explore Knuckles being "a fish out of water" after moving to Earth at the end of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022),[4] and further delve into his character. Elba add-libbed part of his dialogue during recording.[5]
- Adam Pally as Wade Whipple, a dim-witted deputy sheriff of Green Hills who Knuckles trains in the ways of an echidna warrior.[3]
Recurring
- Cary Elwes as "Pistol" Pete Whipple, an eccentric 27-time championship bowler and father of Wade's.[6][7]
- Edi Patterson as Wanda Whipple, Wade's sister.[3]
- Stockard Channing as Wendy Whipple, Wade's mother.[6]
- Julian Barratt as Jack Sinclair[3]
- Rory McCann as The Buyer, a former lackey of Doctor Robotnik who seeks to obtain Knuckles' power.[3]
- Scott Mescudi as Agent Mason, an agent working for The Buyer.[3]
- Ellie Taylor as Agent Willoughby, an agent working for The Buyer.[3]
Guest starring
- Tika Sumpter as Maddie Wachowski, Knuckles, Sonic, and Tails' adoptive mother and Green Hills' veterinarian.[3]
- Ben Schwartz as Sonic the Hedgehog, an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog who can run at supersonic speeds.[8]
- Colleen O'Shaughnessey as Miles "Tails" Prower, an anthropomorphic yellow-orange fox who can fly with his two tails.[8]
- Christopher Lloyd as Pachacamac, an echidna who was believed to have perished with his tribe when they tried to capture Longclaw, Sonic's former adoptive mother, but is now on Earth working at a bowling alley.[6][9]
Paul Scheer and Rob Huebel have also been cast in undisclosed roles.
Episodes
| No. | Title | Directed by [3] | Written by [10] | Original release date [11] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Warrior" | Jeff Fowler | John Whittington | April 26, 2024 |
| 2 | "Don't Ever Say I Wasn't There For You" | Ged Wright | John Whittington | April 26, 2024 |
| 3 | "The Shabbat Dinner" | Brandon Trost | Brian Schacter | April 26, 2024 |
| 4 | "The Flames of Disaster" | Jorma Taccone | James Madejski | April 26, 2024 |
| 5 | "Reno, Baby" | Carol Banker | Brian Schacter | April 26, 2024 |
| 6 | "What Happens in Reno, Stays in Reno" | Carol Banker | John Whittington | April 26, 2024 |
Production
Development
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During development on Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022), the production team decided to expand the Sonic the Hedgehog film franchise by developing television series. Having liked Knuckles the Echidna' comedic potrayal in the film, the producers decided the first Sonic spin-off to star the character.[12] By February 2022, development had begun on a Sonic the Hedgehog series focusing on Knuckles for release on Paramount+ in 2023. Sega and Paramount Pictures officially announced the series' development at the ViacomCBS Investor Day presentation in February, with Idris Elba confirmed to be reprising his role as Knuckles from the then-upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and the series serving as a spin-off of the film.[13][14] In June 2022, Paramount CEO Brian Robbins referred to the series as a miniseries.[15]
In April 2023, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 co-writer John Whittington was announced as the series' developer and head writer. Whittington will also executive produce the series alongside Elba and Sonic film franchise creatives Neal H. Moritz and Toby Ascher of Original Film, Jeff Fowler, and Toru Nakahara. Paramount Pictures and Sega of America would serve as production companies on the series.[3] It was also reported that the series would follow Knuckles as he trains Wade Wipple, with Adam Pally reprising his role as Wade. Also cast in recurring roles were Edi Patterson, Julian Barratt, Scott Mescudi, and Ellie Taylor, with guest stars including Rory McCann as well as Tika Sumpter reprising her role as Maddie.[3] Additional cast members were confirmed, including Cary Elwes, Stockard Channing, Christopher Lloyd, Paul Scheer, and Rob Huebel in June 2023.[6] In February 2024, it was reported that Ascher had received a co-developer credit alongside Whittington and served as the series's showrunner. It was also announced that Ben Schwartz and Colleen O'Shaughnessey would reprise their roles as Sonic the Hedgehog and Miles "Tails" Prowler in a guest star capacity.[8]
In April 2024, Ascher said future seasons of Knuckles are possible should the series prove successful and if the filmmakers had "a really great story to tell".[12]
Writing
The series had been in the writing stages by April 2022,[4] with Whittington writing alongside Brian Schacter and James Madejski.[3] For the show's plot, the writers decided to reuse the buddy comedy approach from Sonic the Hedgehog (2020), which was favored by the crew. Rather than having one of the characters serve as the straight man of the duo, the writers wanted both Knuckles and Wade to be "wildcards in a buddy comedy" due to its comedic potential.[16]
The series is set between Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024), and will include easter eggs to set-up the events and narrative of the latter.[15][3] The series also explores the ramifications of the events in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, particularly G.U.N. gaining access to Sonic and Knuckles' quills and rings. Ascher, who drew inspiration from other franchises such as Marvel Comics, said this was done as a way to expand the franchise's mythology by questioning how would its events affect the real world.[17]
Filming
Production on the series began by April 2023, in London, England. Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 director Jeff Fowler directed the pilot, with Ged Wright, Brandon Trost, Jorma Taccone and Carol Banker also serving as directors.[3]
Visual effects and animation
Visual effects providers for the series include Industrial Light & Magic and Fin Design.[12] In order to achieve the same animation quality as the movies, the animators made use of Paramount's pre-existing character models and animation as a guide, allowing for a quicker animation development process.[12]
Music
In place of Tom Holkenborg, who composed for the Sonic films, Tom Howe, composer of Early Man and Shrinking, has been assigned to compose the music for the series.[18] "The Warrior" by Scandal appears as the series' opening theme.[19]
Release
Marketing
At the NXT Stand & Deliver professional wrestling event on April 6, 2024, a Knuckles mascot was present in the audience for the NXT North American Championship match, which was sponsored by the show.[20]
Broadcast
Knuckles is set to premiere on Paramount+ on April 26, 2024.[11]
Reception
The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 86% based on 7 reviews, with an average rating of 6.1/10.[21]
See also
Notes
- ^ Sonic the Hedgehog was developed by Sonic Team, published by Sega, directed and programmed by Yuji Naka, designed by Hirokazu Yasuhara, and illustrated by Naoto Ohshima.[1][2]
References
- ^ "The bizarre evolution of Sonic the Hedgehog". Business Insider. February 13, 2020. Archived from the original on February 14, 2020. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
- ^ "How Sega conquered the video games industry – and then threw it all away". The Independent. February 16, 2020. Archived from the original on February 17, 2020. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Otterson, Joe (April 17, 2023). "'Sonic the Hedgehog' Spinoff Series 'Knuckles' at Paramount+ Sets Cast, Including Adam Pally, Tika Sumpter". Variety. Archived from the original on April 17, 2023. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
- ^ a b Zinski, Dan (April 6, 2022). "Sonic the Hedgehog: Knuckles TV Show Update Shared By Idris Elba". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on May 30, 2022. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
- ^ Weintraub, Steven; Jones, Tamera (April 17, 2024). "Idris Elba Promises 'Knuckles' Is a 'Sonic the Hedgehog' Universe Deep-Dive". Collider. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
- ^ a b c d Petski, Denise (June 14, 2023). "Cary Elwes, Stockard Channing, Christopher Lloyd, Paul Scheer & Rob Huebel Join 'Sonic The Hedgehog' Spinoff Series 'Knuckles'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
- ^ McPherson, Chris (July 5, 2023). "Cary Elwes Says 'Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One' Is The Biggest Action Blockbuster in History". Collider. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
- ^ a b c Petski, Denise (February 8, 2024). "'Knuckles': 'Sonic The Hedgehog' TV Spinoff Gets First Trailer & Premiere Date At Paramount+". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
- ^ "Paramount Press Express | Paramount+ | Knuckles | Photos". www.paramountpressexpress.com. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
- ^ "Knuckles". Writers Guild of America West. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
- ^ a b Murphy, J. Kim (February 8, 2024). "'Knuckles' Trailer Reveals Idris Elba's 'Sonic the Hedgehog' Spinoff Series on Paramount+". Variety. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Toon In: Animated TV Highlights for April, from ARK: The Animated Series to Knuckles". Paste Magazine. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (February 15, 2022). "Sonic The Hedgehog Universe Continues To Grow As Sega And Paramount Sign Off On Third Film As Well As A 'Knuckles' Spin-Off Series In The Works At Paramount+ With Idris Elba Reprising Role". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 15, 2022. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
- ^ Otterson, Joe (February 15, 2022). "'Sonic the Hedgehog' Spinoff Series About Knuckles Set at Paramount Plus". Variety. Archived from the original on March 16, 2023. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
- ^ a b "How Sonic 3 Will Connect To Idris Elba's Knuckles Spinoff Show". Screen Rant. June 8, 2022. Archived from the original on June 8, 2022. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
- ^ Adeyemi, Boluwatife (April 20, 2024). "How Knuckles' Story Is Different From The Previous Sonic Movies Detailed By Co-Creator". ScreenRant. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
- ^ Shayo, Lukas (April 20, 2024). "How The Knuckles Show Expands The Sonic Franchise & GUN's Experiments Detailed By Co-Creator". ScreenRant. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
- ^ "Tom Howe Scoring Paramount+'s 'Knuckles' Series". FilmMusicReporter. February 11, 2024. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
- ^ published, Bradley Russell (April 22, 2024). "Knuckles review: "A confident trial run for Sonic 3"". gamesradar. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
- ^ "WWE WrestleMania 40: Knuckles Takes Over WWE NXT Stand & Deliver". Ringside News. April 6, 2024. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
- ^ "Knuckles: Season 1 | Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
External links
- 2020s American comedy television series
- 2020s American television miniseries
- American action adventure television series
- American television shows based on video games
- American television spin-offs
- American English-language television shows
- Interquel television series
- Live action television shows based on video games
- Paramount+ original programming
- Television series by Paramount Television
- Television shows filmed at Pinewood Studios
- Television shows shot in London
- Upcoming comedy television series
- Upcoming American television series
- Works based on Sonic the Hedgehog