The video game curse seems to have lifted in recent years. For what seemed like decades before, movie studios, for years, could not get a decent live-action video game adaptation to the screen. Sure, there were dozens of them, but they had a reputation for being awful. Now that the hump seems to be overcome—not to mention studios making quality films out of seemingly unadaptable material like “The LEGO Movie” and “Barbie”— the successful “Sonic The Hedgehog” franchise returns with its third installment.

Continue reading ‘Sonic The Hedgehog 3’ Trailer: Shadow Joins The Video Game Adaptation Coming In December at The Playlist.

The premise of the horror comedy “Renfield” is nuts and shoots it to the top of almost all Most Anticipated 2023 lists (including ours). Count Dracula’s famous devoted lackey Renfield finds a new lease on life in modern-day New Orleans when he falls in love with Rebecca Quincy, a feisty but perennially aggressive traffic cop. OK, so there’s that, but then cast Nicholas Hoult as the normally-obsequious Renfield, Nicolas Cage as Dracula, and Awkwafina as the traffic cop.

Continue reading ‘Renfield’ Trailer: Nicolas Hoult Is In A Toxic Relationship With Dracula, Played By Nicolas Cage In New Horror Comedy at The Playlist.

Ben Schwartz is one of the funniest people working in Hollywood today. And after years of guest-starring in various shows and providing more than a decade of voice-over work, the actor is finally getting his due in recent years thanks to the insanely popular “Sonic the Hedgehog” film franchise and a starring role in the recent Apple TV+ series, “The Afterparty.” And in this episode of The Playlist Podcast, Schwartz talks about those projects and much more. 

Continue reading Ben Schwartz Talks About Keeping Secrets For ‘The Afterparty,’ A “Bananas” ‘Sonic 3’ & More [The Playlist Podcast] at The Playlist.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but “Sonic The Hedgehog 2” really cannot be the swan song for the great Jim Carrey. One of the great comedic careers of recent years cannot end on such a whimper. The star is, of course, free to pursue what makes him happiest, as he’s indicated on the film’s press tour. But it would be a real shame to cap off with a work that so thoroughly misunderstands his unique gift for bodily humor.

Continue reading ‘Sonic The Hedgehog 2’ Review: This Speedy Sequel Zooms Past What Makes The Series Special at The Playlist.

While they’ll try and make I.P. and franchise out of anything these days, Paramount’s live-action animated hybrid, “Sonic The Hedgehog” film was surprisingly endearing, watchable, and entertaining, perhaps thanks to the voice work of Ben Schwartz as Sonic, the surprising chemistry he had with straight man James Marsden and the inclusion of rubber face Jim Carrey as the bad guy, the brilliant, evil Dr.

Continue reading ‘Sonic The Hedgehog 2’ Trailer: Sonic’s Next-Level Adventure Features Tails & Knuckles at The Playlist.

“Space Force” is set to take off again as a second season hits Netflix. The comedy from creators Greg Daniels and Steve Carell offers a satirical look at America’s newest military branch. It also serves as a return to form for the pair who helped make the U.S. remake of “The Office” a success. Much like that modern classic, the series utilizes dry humor and satire to achieve its laughs. 

Continue reading ‘Space Force’ Season 2 Trailer: What Happens On The Moon, Stays On The Moon at The Playlist.

What do you need to know about “The Afterparty?” Well, it’s almost “Knives Out” as brought to you by Phil Lord and Chris Miller with a stellar cast that includes Tiffany Haddish, Sam Richardson, Zoë Chao, Ben Schwartz, Ike Barinholtz, Ilana Glazer, Jamie Demetriou, and Dave Franco. You probably don’t even need convincing beyond that.

What’s the story exactly?

Continue reading The ‘Afterparty’ Trailer: Lord & Miller Bring A ‘Knives Out’ Style Murder Mystery To Apple With A Killer Comedy Cast at The Playlist.

Did the world ask for a sequel to 2020’s “Sonic The Hedgehog?” All things considered in the world arena, probably not. However, before COVID-19 shut down the globe last March, Jeff Fowler‘s directorial debut raked in nearly $320 million on a $90 million budget. In studio logic, that’s grounds for a follow-up–even if audiences really, really don’t need it.

READ MORE: ‘Sonic The Hedgehog 2’: Idris Elba Announces He’ll Voice Knuckles 

Still, the main rule of the sequels is to up the ante of its predecessor.

Continue reading ‘Sonic The Hedgehog 2’ Trailer: Sonic & Tails Team Up To Take On Dr. Robotnik & Knuckles This April at The Playlist.

British actor Idris Elba is having a bit of a moment after the release of James Gunn‘s “The Suicide Squad” as his character Bloodsport is one of the highlights of the new DC Comics characters in the well-received R-rated sequel.

READ MORE: The Suicide Squad’: James Gunn Inspires The DC Universe With Gnarly Irreverence, Superhero Subversion & A Big Beating Heart [Review]

Well, Elba has landed another key role in another fan-driven studio sequel, as he announced on Twitter that he’ll voice the CGI-animated character Knuckles (A red anthropomorphic short-beaked echidna) in Paramount Pictures‘ kid-friendly “Sonic The Hedgehog 2,” which is currently in post-production after filming in Vancouver.

Continue reading ‘Sonic The Hedgehog 2’: Idris Elba Announces He’ll Voice Knuckles at The Playlist.

Phil Lord and Chris Miller are filmmakers that really have earned our trust over the past several years. Thanks to films like “The LEGO Movie,” the ‘21 Jump Street’ franchise, and “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” these filmmakers have the benefit of the doubt no matter what the project is. However, with the upcoming series, “The Afterparty,” it appears that there’s very little to doubt, as the comedy is stacked with some incredible actors.

Continue reading ‘The Afterparty’: Tiffany Haddish, Ilana Glazer, Dave Franco & More To Star In Lord & Miller’s Apple TV+ Series at The Playlist.

The term Space Force can be a little confusing at the moment given some absurdist real-life moments that shouldn’t be confused with absurdist moments on TV.  “Space Force,” the upcoming show on Netflix from Steve Carell, should not be mistaken with Space Force the U.S. military effort from President Trump. One is a seemingly hilarious TV show about afour-star general who begrudgingly teams up with an eccentric scientist to get the U.S.

Continue reading ‘Space Force’ Trailer: Steve Carell Wants Boots On The Moon In His New Comedy Series at The Playlist.

With everyone stuck and home, with fewer new TV and film releases than before, we could all use a good laugh. So right on time comes NBC, uploading the delightful and heartwarming half-hour “Parks and Recreation” reunion for free on YouTube so you can laugh at Jean Ralphio, cry over Li’l Sebastian and revisit the greatest fictional town in Indiana.

READ MORE: TV Execs Warn That Love Scenes & Close-Contact Fight Scenes Will have To Be “Reimagined” When Production Begins Again

The special was written and shot specifically to accommodate the current quarantine.

Continue reading NBC Gives Us All A Much-Needed Laugh During Quarantine And Puts The Entire ‘A Parks and Recreation Special’ On YouTube at The Playlist.

Sam Rockwell might have the reputation for portraying racists recently (“Jojo Rabbit,” “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” and “The Best of Enemies” are just a few examples over the last couple of years), but there’s no denying he’s a funny, talented comedic actor when he’s not trying to go for Oscars. Say what you will about his character from “Iron Man 2,” but Rockwell did some pretty great work in that role, for example.

Continue reading Sam Rockwell To Star In New Searchlight Comedy Film Written By Ben Schwartz at The Playlist.

With Netflix set to lose “The Office” at the end of the year, thus leaving a huge Steve Carell-sized hole in its library, the streaming service has decided to fix that with “Space Force.” And as we can see in new photos, while “Space Force” isn’t exactly the same as “The Office,” it’s clear that Carell and his cast/crew are hoping to replicate that sitcom’s success in a new series that puts a fun spin on the workplace comedy.

Continue reading ‘Space Force’ Photos: Steve Carell’s Newest Workplace Comedy Has Him Going To The Moon at The Playlist.

A kinetic, electrically-paced buddy comedy starring a lighting fast, motormouth-talking anthropomorphic hedgehog (Ben Schwartz), and a zany Jim Carrey that began its life with a debilitating, life-threatening narrative—CGI so poor and unlike the video game whence it came that the entire character was reanimated again due to a public backlash— “Sonic the Hedgehog” has every right to be a full-on disaster. Instead, and seemingly against all impossible odds— in spite of having to go back to the drawing board to recreate a new look for the animated character— ‘Sonic’ is one of the first video game movies worth watching.

Continue reading ‘Sonic The Hedgehog’ Races To Victory Fueled By Big Jim Carrey Energy & The Power Of Friendship [Review] at The Playlist.

One of the tried and true plots for a comedy film is the “guy falls on rough times and moves back with his parents” scenario. We’ve seen it numerous times before, and normally, that type of premise wouldn’t make us stand up and take notice. However, in the case of “Standing Up, Falling Down,” we’re curious mainly due to the two leads — Billy Crystal and Ben Schwartz.

Continue reading ‘Standing Up, Falling Down’ Trailer: Billy Crystal & Ben Schwartz Are An Unlikely Pair In This New Comedy at The Playlist.

Even without a premise, the idea that “The Office” co-creator Greg Daniels and star Steve Carell are teaming up once again for a new half-hour comedy series is enough for any TV fan to take notice. The fact that this new Netflix comedy series is called “Space Force” and is a workplace comedy about the newly-created sixth branch of the armed services is really just the cherry on top of this sure-to-be-hilarious sundae.

Continue reading John Malkovich, Ben Schwartz & More Join Steve Carell In The New Workplace Comedy Series ‘Space Force’ at The Playlist.

Noël Wells recently popped up on our radar last year with her directorial debut “Mr. Roosevelt.” We enjoyed the film, and have been looking forward to what’s next on the actress’ docket. Well, in a new trailer for the film “Happy Anniversary,” we see Wells in what could be a pretty fun film.

While Wells didn’t write or direct “Happy Anniversary” (that went to “The Lego Batman Movie” writer Jared Stern), you can see her comedic sensibilities shine in the trailer.

Continue reading Noël Wells And Ben Schwartz Experience Relationship Woes In ‘Happy Anniversary’ Trailer at The Playlist.

Lynn Shelton is one of those filmmakers who can do it all. The multi-hyphenate has an impressive resume of acting, editing and producing credits, and has appeared and directed films and several episodes of television shows like “Mad Men,” “Casual,” and “Master of None” to name a few). With her next film, “Outside In,” Shelton is once again pulling double duty.

Continue reading ‘Outside In’ Trailer: Edie Falco & Jay Duplass Make A Connection at The Playlist.

Chris (Jay Duplass) is finally coming home after twenty years in prison, and, as he tells his brother Ted (Ben Schwartz), “It’s weird.” He was still a teenager when he got caught up in a crime that spiraled out of control and ended up doing the time for his friends, who left him to take the rap alone. Even if the world has made a few technological and societal leaps in the decades he’s been away, the small town of Granite Falls, Washington hasn’t changed all that much.

Continue reading Lynn Shelton and Jay Duplass Charm With ‘Outside In’ [TIFF Review] at The Playlist.

Sundance Review: Clea DuVall's 'The Intervention' Starring Melanie Lynskey, Cobie Smulders, Natasha Lyonne, More

Continue reading Sundance Review: Clea DuVall’s ‘The Intervention’ Starring Melanie Lynskey, Cobie Smulders, Natasha Lyonne, More at The Playlist.

The Voices Behind BB-8 In 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' Have Been Revealed

Continue reading The Voices Behind BB-8 In ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Have Been Revealed at The Playlist.

Casting: Seth Rogen & Adam McKay Team For New Comedy, Toby Kebell Is 'Ben-Hur' Baddie And More

Continue reading Casting: Seth Rogen & Adam McKay Team For New Comedy, Toby Kebell Is ‘Ben-Hur’ Baddie And More at The Playlist.

Watch: First Trailer For 'This Is Where I Leave You' With Jason Bateman, Tina Fey, Rose Byrne, Adam Driver & More

Continue reading Watch: First Trailer For ‘This Is Where I Leave You’ With Jason Bateman, Tina Fey, Rose Byrne, Adam Driver & More at The Playlist.

Robert Redford Will Preach In Jonathan Demme's 'Come Sunday,' Vincent Cassel Joins 'Great Mystical Circus' & More

Continue reading Robert Redford Will Preach In Jonathan Demme’s ‘Come Sunday,’ Vincent Cassel Joins ‘Great Mystical Circus’ & More at The Playlist.