British actor Idris Elba has described his role in the upcoming animated series Knuckles as “surreal”, having grown up playing Sonic The Hedgehog. The new series follows the adventures of the red echidna, voiced by Elba, as he imparts his warrior wisdom to Wade Whipple, a character brought to life by The Mindy Project’s Adam Pally.
Paramount Pictures introduced audiences to Elba’s rendition of Knuckles in Sonic The Hedgehog 2, where he allies with Doctor Robotnik, played by Jim Carrey. Speaking at the Paramount premiere, the Luther star said: “It feels like a bit of a dream, it feels like being able to step into a video game, and into a film, because I’ve always loved Sonic.”
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He added: “I love the world. I played the game when I was a kid and now I’m in it, so it feels quite surreal.”
Elba also shared insights into how he infused humour into his voice acting, saying: “What we used to do in the room is just sort of say random stuff, and see if it stuck.”
He explained: “So I’d say a line and then I’d say it how I think Knuckles would say it and it would sometimes come out funnier.
“But often times it would just help me find the sound.”
Director Jeff Fowler also reminisced about his childhood experiences with Sonic, saying: “Playing that, that first game in 1991. I was 13 years old. It made a huge impression on me and so to be able to be making a third film and a TV show and all this to be going on right now.”
“I couldn’t feel more fortunate and more lucky to be surrounded by so many, so much great talent, the cast, the crew, everyone.”
Sonic The Hedgehog first zoomed onto our screens in a 1991 video game. His trademark? Lightning-fast speeds.
Fans can look forward to a third Sonic film currently in production. The new series is set to hit UK screens via Paramount+ on April 27.
