James Marsden to star in Sonic The Hedgehog movie

James Marsden is lining up to star in the forthcoming Sonic The Hedgehog movie.

Variety reports that the Westworld star will lead the planned mix of CGI and live-action, which is due for release next year.

It follows news doing the rounds yesterday that Ant-Man star Paul Rudd was in the frame for the lead role of Tom, a cop who befriends Sonic and then helps he and his animal pals in their fight against Eggman, aka the mad scientist Doctor Robotnik.

It’s not known whether this is the role Marsden will be playing, or whether Rudd is still in the frame.

Jeff Fowler is in line to direct, his feature debut, with Tim Miller of Deadpool fame serving as an executive producer.

Sonic has never previously be brought to the big screen, though it has been adapted various times for TV since the early 90s, as well as in comic books and Manga.

He has turned up in the odd movie, however, with brief cameos in Disney’s Wreck-It Ralph in 2012, and earlier this year, where his likeness is seen as an avatar in Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One.

The platform video game, which later introduced other characters like Amy, a hedgehog who’s in love with Sonic, and Tails, Sonic’s fox sidekick, was first released by Sega in 1991.

Since then, it’s sold more than 80 million units as physical copies, and as many as 350 million units when taking into consideration downloads.

The last iteration was Sonic Forces, released last year.

The movie is due out on November 15, 2019.

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