With most of the world shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic and millions of households self-isolating, many studios have taken it upon themselves to encourage people to stay home by offering early digital releases for recent movies. Paramount Pictures' Sonic the Hedgehog is one of those films, releasing today on digital platforms just 46 days after its initial launch in theaters.
Unlike many other studios, Paramount had the luxury of releasing Sonic the Hedgehog in theaters before the COVID-19 outbreak. It went on to become the highest-grossing video game movie in U.S. box office history, outearning the previous record-holder in 2018's Detective Pikachu. Sonic the Hedgehog ended its box office run with $146 million domestically and $306 million worldwide — a remarkable feat considering the initial backlash the studios received after debuting the initial design of the titular character.
Inspired by the long-running video game franchise of the same name published by SEGA, Sonic the Hedgehog finds the Blue Blur (voiced by Ben Schwartz) living a secret life on planet Earth. But when he accidentally triggers an electromagnetic pulse that knocks out the power grid, he catches the attention of the evil genius Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey). It then becomes a race across the globe as Sonic and Sherriff Tom Wachowski (James Marsden) try to save the planet from Robotnik's quest for world domination.
You can now watch Sonic the Hedgehog on a number of digital platforms, including Apple TV, VUDU, Amazon Prime Video, Microsoft, Google Play, and Fandango Now. It will be available on Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD on May 19.