‘I was upstaging myself constantly'

Actor Jim Carrey comes out of retirement to play dual geniuses in Sonic The Hedgehog 3

- Alison de Souza

LOS ANGELES - Movies based on video games used to struggle to do well.

But 2020's Sonic The Hedgehog - based on the Sega game series of the same name - was one of the first to break the curse.

A blend of live action and animation, the adventure comedy about a blue hedgehog which moves at supersonic speeds grossed US$320 million (S$433.5 million) worldwide and became one of the most successful video-game adaptations ever.

A sequel, Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (2022), naturally followed.

Hoping to replicate that success, the latest installment, Sonic The Hedgehog 3, lured comedic actor Jim Carrey out of retirement to reprise his role as the franchise's main villain, mad scientist Ivo Robotnik.

The new film, which opens in Singapore cinemas on Dec 26, has also added action star Keanu Reeves to the cast as powerful new antagonist Shadow the Hedgehog, whom Sonic, Knuckles and Tails (voiced by Ben Schwartz, Idris Elba and Colleen O'Shaughnessey respectively) have to defeat to protect the planet.

At the recent Los Angeles premiere, Carrey is asked why he decided to return to the Sonic universe despite saying, while promoting Sonic The Hedgehog 2, that he planned to retire from acting.