The “Knuckles” miniseries on Paramount+ has become the most-watched original series on the platform over its premiere weekend.
Per the streaming service, the “Sonic the Hedgehog” spinoff series was viewed for more than 4 million hours in its first few days of availability after dropping all six episodes on April 26. That also makes it the most-watched kids & family title ever on Paramount+. Viewership for other “Sonic the Hedgehog” titles on the service also saw a substantial lift, up 278% over their daily average.
“The ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ fans came out in full-force,” said Jeff Grossman, executive vice president of programming at Paramount+. “We’re so thrilled with the record-breaking performance of ‘Knuckles’ and the incredible lift the whole Sonic universe has experienced following ‘Knuckles” premiere.”
Paramount+ does not typically release information on the number of viewers for its titles, though they previously revealed such info for the show “Special Ops: Lioness,” which...
Per the streaming service, the “Sonic the Hedgehog” spinoff series was viewed for more than 4 million hours in its first few days of availability after dropping all six episodes on April 26. That also makes it the most-watched kids & family title ever on Paramount+. Viewership for other “Sonic the Hedgehog” titles on the service also saw a substantial lift, up 278% over their daily average.
“The ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ fans came out in full-force,” said Jeff Grossman, executive vice president of programming at Paramount+. “We’re so thrilled with the record-breaking performance of ‘Knuckles’ and the incredible lift the whole Sonic universe has experienced following ‘Knuckles” premiere.”
Paramount+ does not typically release information on the number of viewers for its titles, though they previously revealed such info for the show “Special Ops: Lioness,” which...
- 5/2/2024
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Sega and Paramount have made a Sonic The Hedgehog spin-off television series called Knuckles, here’s the trailer.
Sonic The Hedgehog is among the top selling video game franchises of all time. Launching on the Sega Mega Drive in 1991, the blue Hedgehog with super speed has graced countless video games, and after a failed attempt to make an animated film in the 1990s, he finally made a very successful leap to the big screen in 2020. Voiced by Ben Schwartz, it saw him go up against his arch nemesis Dr. Robotnik, played with maniacal relish by Jim Carrey. After being teased at the end of the first film, the 2022 sequel introduced Tails and Knuckles, voiced by Colleen O’Shaughnessey and Idris Elba.
News landed recently that the third film will see Carrey reprise his role, despite his previous assertion that he was retiring, with Krysten Ritter, Alyla Browne, James Wolk, Sofia Pernas,...
Sonic The Hedgehog is among the top selling video game franchises of all time. Launching on the Sega Mega Drive in 1991, the blue Hedgehog with super speed has graced countless video games, and after a failed attempt to make an animated film in the 1990s, he finally made a very successful leap to the big screen in 2020. Voiced by Ben Schwartz, it saw him go up against his arch nemesis Dr. Robotnik, played with maniacal relish by Jim Carrey. After being teased at the end of the first film, the 2022 sequel introduced Tails and Knuckles, voiced by Colleen O’Shaughnessey and Idris Elba.
News landed recently that the third film will see Carrey reprise his role, despite his previous assertion that he was retiring, with Krysten Ritter, Alyla Browne, James Wolk, Sofia Pernas,...
- 2/9/2024
- by Jake Godfrey
- Film Stories
Paramount+’s official trailer for the event series Knuckles shows the titular character teaching Wade to be a warrior, turning a home into a gladiator pit, and generally disrupting lives. The series, set after the events of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and before Sonic the Hedgehog 3, will premiere on April 26, 2024 with the release of all six episodes.
Idris Elba returns to voice Knuckles and Adam Pally’s back as Wade Whipple. Franchise veterans Ben Schwartz, Tika Sumpter, and Colleen O’Shaughnessey also retuns as special guest stars in their roles as Sonic, Maddie, and Tails, respectively.
Additional series guest stars include Stockard Channing (The West Wing), Edi Patterson (The Righteous Gemstones), Scott Mescudi (Don’t Look Up), Ellie Taylor (Ted Lasso), Julian Barratt (Mindhorn), and Rory McCann (Game of Thrones). Cary Elwes (Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning), Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future), Paul Scheer (Black Monday), and Rob Huebel (Childrens Hospital) also guest star.
Idris Elba returns to voice Knuckles and Adam Pally’s back as Wade Whipple. Franchise veterans Ben Schwartz, Tika Sumpter, and Colleen O’Shaughnessey also retuns as special guest stars in their roles as Sonic, Maddie, and Tails, respectively.
Additional series guest stars include Stockard Channing (The West Wing), Edi Patterson (The Righteous Gemstones), Scott Mescudi (Don’t Look Up), Ellie Taylor (Ted Lasso), Julian Barratt (Mindhorn), and Rory McCann (Game of Thrones). Cary Elwes (Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning), Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future), Paul Scheer (Black Monday), and Rob Huebel (Childrens Hospital) also guest star.
- 2/8/2024
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
You've seen these super-powered critters save the world a time or two, but what America and the world at large really want to know is ... what do they do on their day off? Apparently, for alien heroes with a taste for battle, that involves makeshift gladiatorial arenas and a never-ending quest for vengeance. That's courtesy of the popular breakout character from "Sonic the Hedgehog 2," which featured Idris Elba's dulcet tones as the voice of Knuckles. Now, ahead of this year's release of the third "Sonic" film, everybody's favorite red echidna is getting his own spin-off series titled, fittingly enough, "Knuckles."
The much more serious-minded character was a natural choice to expand the "Sonic" universe in live-action, but Paramount threw everyone a curveball when it was announced that the "Knuckles" spinoff would take the form of a streaming series on Paramount+. But if it wasn't already clear before, it...
The much more serious-minded character was a natural choice to expand the "Sonic" universe in live-action, but Paramount threw everyone a curveball when it was announced that the "Knuckles" spinoff would take the form of a streaming series on Paramount+. But if it wasn't already clear before, it...
- 2/8/2024
- by Jeremy Mathai
- Slash Film
You gotta go fast when you’re building a franchise, and Paramount Pictures has been moving like a speedy blue blur in racing out its live-action spinoff series of the “Sonic the Hedgehog” film, “Knuckles.”
“Knuckles” will bridge the gap between “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” and the upcoming third film, and this series gives a look into the adventures of the red, punch-happy Echidna warrior Knuckles, with Idris Elba reprising his voice role from the second film.
Ahead of a Super Bowl spot that will air during the CBS and Nickelodeon broadcasts (Knuckles and friends will even make an appearance during the kids’ version) of the big game, Paramount+ has dropped the first trailer for “Knuckles” and announced all episodes of the series will be available to stream in the U.S. and Canada beginning April 26. It will hit additional territories the following day and Japan later this year.
The...
“Knuckles” will bridge the gap between “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” and the upcoming third film, and this series gives a look into the adventures of the red, punch-happy Echidna warrior Knuckles, with Idris Elba reprising his voice role from the second film.
Ahead of a Super Bowl spot that will air during the CBS and Nickelodeon broadcasts (Knuckles and friends will even make an appearance during the kids’ version) of the big game, Paramount+ has dropped the first trailer for “Knuckles” and announced all episodes of the series will be available to stream in the U.S. and Canada beginning April 26. It will hit additional territories the following day and Japan later this year.
The...
- 2/8/2024
- by Brian Welk
- Indiewire
Soon it will be Paramount+ & Knuckles, as the streamer released the first trailer for its spinoff series of the “Sonic the Hedgehog” films on Thursday morning. “Knuckles” sees Idris Elba return to voice the eponymous grumpy echidna, introduced as Sonic’s foe-turned-friend in the second “Hedgehog” entry.
Billed as “the latest in the cinematic world of ‘Sonic the Hedgehog,'” the first look also comes with the news that the entire series — totaling six episodes — will debut simultaneously on Paramount+ in North America on April 26. Additional territories will follow on April 27, with a Japan release slated for later on this year.
Paramount Pictures and Sega of America plan to give fans an additional look at “Knuckles” during Super Bowl Lviii on Sunday, when a TV spot will debut during the game. The character of Knuckles is also set to make a “surprise appearance” during Nickelodeon’s specialized live broadcast of football’s biggest night.
Billed as “the latest in the cinematic world of ‘Sonic the Hedgehog,'” the first look also comes with the news that the entire series — totaling six episodes — will debut simultaneously on Paramount+ in North America on April 26. Additional territories will follow on April 27, with a Japan release slated for later on this year.
Paramount Pictures and Sega of America plan to give fans an additional look at “Knuckles” during Super Bowl Lviii on Sunday, when a TV spot will debut during the game. The character of Knuckles is also set to make a “surprise appearance” during Nickelodeon’s specialized live broadcast of football’s biggest night.
- 2/8/2024
- by J. Kim Murphy
- Variety Film + TV
Paramount+ has released the official trailer for Knuckles, the Sonic the Hedgehog TV spinoff, from Paramount Pictures and Sega of America, starring Idris Elba in the title role. Adam Pally reprises his role from the film franchise as Wade Whipple. The streamer also announced today that all six episodes of the series will drop on Friday, April 26, exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S. and Canada; the following day, April 27, in all additional Paramount+ territories; and in Japan later this year.
The live-action series takes place between the films Sonic The Hedgehog 2 and Sonic The Hedgehog 3. It follows Knuckles (Elba) on a hilarious and action-packed journey of self-discovery as he agrees to train Wade (Pally) as his protégé and teach him the ways of the Echidna warrior.
In addition to Elba and Pally, the ensemble cast includes guest stars Stockard Channing (The West Wing), Edi Patterson (The Righteous Gemstones...
The live-action series takes place between the films Sonic The Hedgehog 2 and Sonic The Hedgehog 3. It follows Knuckles (Elba) on a hilarious and action-packed journey of self-discovery as he agrees to train Wade (Pally) as his protégé and teach him the ways of the Echidna warrior.
In addition to Elba and Pally, the ensemble cast includes guest stars Stockard Channing (The West Wing), Edi Patterson (The Righteous Gemstones...
- 2/8/2024
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Marielle Heller broke out big at Sundance back in 2015 with coming-of-ager The Diary of a Teenage Girl – the pic received a lot of fanfare and the Special Jury Award for Cinematography (Brandon Trost). Following 2018’s Can You Ever Forgive Me? and critical hit A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019), we now have Nightbitch — a book-to-film adaptation that was originally set up at Annapurna but then sold to the Searchlight/Hulu folks. It was likely going to receive a 2023 release but it looks like they might want some film fest play to help the film get out of the gates.…...
- 11/15/2023
- by Eric Lavallée
- IONCINEMA.com
Even with the ongoing WGA strike grinding Hollywood to a halt, seemingly nothing can stop Paramount from moving forward with plans for Sonic the Hedgehog 3. According to the film industry-related website Production List, cameras will roll on the threequel in London on August 31, 2023.
While details about Sonic the Hedgehog 3 remain a mystery, the sequel will likely introduce more fan-favorite characters from the more-popular-than-you-would-ever-think franchise, including Shadow the Hedgehog, who Paramount teased during an after-credits scene for Sonic the Hedgehog 2. While Shadow is a known quality, Sonic fans hope the film series is planning to introduce more characters, including Amy Rose, Big the Cat, Rogue the Bat, Cream the Rabbit, Vector the Crocodile, and more. So far, there has yet to be a word if Jim Carrey will return to reprise his role as Dr. Robotnik.
Jeff Fowler returns to direct Sonic the Hedgehog 3 from a screenplay...
While details about Sonic the Hedgehog 3 remain a mystery, the sequel will likely introduce more fan-favorite characters from the more-popular-than-you-would-ever-think franchise, including Shadow the Hedgehog, who Paramount teased during an after-credits scene for Sonic the Hedgehog 2. While Shadow is a known quality, Sonic fans hope the film series is planning to introduce more characters, including Amy Rose, Big the Cat, Rogue the Bat, Cream the Rabbit, Vector the Crocodile, and more. So far, there has yet to be a word if Jim Carrey will return to reprise his role as Dr. Robotnik.
Jeff Fowler returns to direct Sonic the Hedgehog 3 from a screenplay...
- 6/20/2023
- by Steve Seigh
- JoBlo.com
I’ll admit to believing that the Sonic the Hedgehog movie would join the ranks of the many video-game movie failures, but here we are, with a sequel released last year and another on the way. There’s also a spin-off TV series centered around Knuckles with Idris Elba once again voicing the character. The cast of the Knuckles TV series has now added five new members.
Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future), Cary Elwes (The Princess Bride), Stockard Channing (Grease), Paul Scheer (Veep), and Rob Huebel (Children’s Hospital) have joined the cast of the Knuckles TV series. The nature of their characters remains unknown at this time. Previously announced cast members include Adam Pally, who will be reprising the role of Wade Whipple, as well as Edi Patterson, Julian Barratt, Scott Mescudi, and Ellie Taylor. Rory McCann and Tika Sumpter will also guest star in the series, with...
Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future), Cary Elwes (The Princess Bride), Stockard Channing (Grease), Paul Scheer (Veep), and Rob Huebel (Children’s Hospital) have joined the cast of the Knuckles TV series. The nature of their characters remains unknown at this time. Previously announced cast members include Adam Pally, who will be reprising the role of Wade Whipple, as well as Edi Patterson, Julian Barratt, Scott Mescudi, and Ellie Taylor. Rory McCann and Tika Sumpter will also guest star in the series, with...
- 6/14/2023
- by Kevin Fraser
- JoBlo.com
Cary Elwes, Stockard Channing, Christopher Lloyd, Paul Scheer and Rob Huebel are joining the cast of “Knuckles,” the first television series in Paramount+, Paramount Pictures and Sega of America’s expanding “Cinematic World of Sonic the Hedgehog.”
The live-action series, which takes place between “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” and “Sonic The Hedgehog 3” films, follows the titular character on an action-packed journey of self discovery as he agrees to train Wade as his protégé and teach him the ways of the Echidna warrior. “Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is currently slated to release on Dec. 20, 2024.
Details of Elwes, Channing, Lloyd, Scheer and Huebel’s characters were not disclosed.
Also Read:
Idris Elba Fights to Save 200 Passengers in First ‘Hijack’ Trailer: ‘It’s Either Us or Them’ (Video)
Idris Elba stars as Knuckles while Adam Pally reprises his role as Wade Whipple. Rounding out the rest of the cast is recurring stars Edi Patterson,...
The live-action series, which takes place between “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” and “Sonic The Hedgehog 3” films, follows the titular character on an action-packed journey of self discovery as he agrees to train Wade as his protégé and teach him the ways of the Echidna warrior. “Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is currently slated to release on Dec. 20, 2024.
Details of Elwes, Channing, Lloyd, Scheer and Huebel’s characters were not disclosed.
Also Read:
Idris Elba Fights to Save 200 Passengers in First ‘Hijack’ Trailer: ‘It’s Either Us or Them’ (Video)
Idris Elba stars as Knuckles while Adam Pally reprises his role as Wade Whipple. Rounding out the rest of the cast is recurring stars Edi Patterson,...
- 6/14/2023
- by Lucas Manfredi
- The Wrap
The live-action “Knuckles” series at Paramount+ has added five new cast members.
Cary Elwes, Stockard Channing, Christopher Lloyd, Paul Scheer, and Rob Huebel have all joined the series. Details on their characters are being kept under wraps.
As previously announced, Idris Elba will once again voice the character Knuckles as he did in the film “Sonic the Hedgehog 2.” Other cast members include Adam Pally, reprising the role of Wade Whipple, as well as Edi Patterson, Julian Barratt, Scott Mescudi, and Ellie Taylor. Guest stars include Rory McCann and Tika Sumpter, with the latter reprising her role as Maddie.
The show was originally announced in February 2022. It is set in the time between “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” and the third film in the franchise, which is slated to debut in theaters on December 20, 2024. In the series, Knuckles “agrees to train Wade as his protégé and teach him the ways of the Echidna warrior,...
Cary Elwes, Stockard Channing, Christopher Lloyd, Paul Scheer, and Rob Huebel have all joined the series. Details on their characters are being kept under wraps.
As previously announced, Idris Elba will once again voice the character Knuckles as he did in the film “Sonic the Hedgehog 2.” Other cast members include Adam Pally, reprising the role of Wade Whipple, as well as Edi Patterson, Julian Barratt, Scott Mescudi, and Ellie Taylor. Guest stars include Rory McCann and Tika Sumpter, with the latter reprising her role as Maddie.
The show was originally announced in February 2022. It is set in the time between “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” and the third film in the franchise, which is slated to debut in theaters on December 20, 2024. In the series, Knuckles “agrees to train Wade as his protégé and teach him the ways of the Echidna warrior,...
- 6/14/2023
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Cary Elwes, Stockard Channing, Christopher Lloyd, Paul Scheer and Rob Huebel have joined the cast of Sonic The Hedgehog TV spinoff Knuckles, from Paramount+, Paramount Pictures and Sega.
They join previously announced Idris Elba as the titular character Knuckles and Adam Pally, who will reprise his role from the film franchise as Wade Whipple, with recurring cast members Edi Patterson, Julian Barratt, Scott Mescudi, Ellie Taylor, and guest stars Rory McCann and Tika Sumpter reprising her role as Maddie.
Character details are being kept under wraps.
The live-action series will follow Knuckles on a hilarious and action-packed journey of self-discovery as he agrees to train Wade as his protégé and teach him the ways of the Echidna warrior. The series takes place between the films Sonic The Hedgehog 2 and Sonic The Hedgehog 3, marking the next installment of the hit franchise, which is slated for December 20, 2024.
All of the...
They join previously announced Idris Elba as the titular character Knuckles and Adam Pally, who will reprise his role from the film franchise as Wade Whipple, with recurring cast members Edi Patterson, Julian Barratt, Scott Mescudi, Ellie Taylor, and guest stars Rory McCann and Tika Sumpter reprising her role as Maddie.
Character details are being kept under wraps.
The live-action series will follow Knuckles on a hilarious and action-packed journey of self-discovery as he agrees to train Wade as his protégé and teach him the ways of the Echidna warrior. The series takes place between the films Sonic The Hedgehog 2 and Sonic The Hedgehog 3, marking the next installment of the hit franchise, which is slated for December 20, 2024.
All of the...
- 6/14/2023
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Idris Elba as the title character in ‘Knuckles’
Adam Pally will reprise his role as Wade Whipple from Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 for Paramount+, Paramount Pictures, and Sega of America’s Knuckles series. Idris Elba was previously announced to take on the title role in the live-action series.
Recurring cast members will include Edi Patterson (The Righteous Gemstones), Julian Barratt (Mindhorn), Scott Mescudi (Don’t Look Up), Ellie Taylor (Ted Lasso), and guest star Rory McCann (Game of Thrones). Tika Sumpter is on board to reprise her role as Maddie in a guest-starring role.
Production is now underway in London on the series set between the events of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Sonic the Hedgehog 3. The franchise’s third film is scheduled for release on December 20, 2024.
The Paramount+ series brings together the creative team from the feature films. Jeff Fowler, director of the Sonic the Hedgehog movies,...
Adam Pally will reprise his role as Wade Whipple from Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 for Paramount+, Paramount Pictures, and Sega of America’s Knuckles series. Idris Elba was previously announced to take on the title role in the live-action series.
Recurring cast members will include Edi Patterson (The Righteous Gemstones), Julian Barratt (Mindhorn), Scott Mescudi (Don’t Look Up), Ellie Taylor (Ted Lasso), and guest star Rory McCann (Game of Thrones). Tika Sumpter is on board to reprise her role as Maddie in a guest-starring role.
Production is now underway in London on the series set between the events of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Sonic the Hedgehog 3. The franchise’s third film is scheduled for release on December 20, 2024.
The Paramount+ series brings together the creative team from the feature films. Jeff Fowler, director of the Sonic the Hedgehog movies,...
- 4/17/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
News just in from the Sonic-verse! No, Ugly Sonic isn’t making a surprise comeback after his profile-boosting Chip 'N Dale: Rescue Rangers cameo, and the threequel isn’t in production yet. But if you wanted more from Idris Elba as bad-boy echidna Knuckles (what a world this is), then you’re in luck – the big red guy is getting his own live-action spin-off series on Paramount+, and it’s just started shooting. Gold rings all around.
As the above slate confirms, the first episode of the series will be directed by Jeff Fowler, who helmed both Sonic The Hedgehog and Sonic The Hedgehog 2. The series, which will see Idris Elba reprise his role as the voice of Knuckles, takes place between the second film and the upcoming third entry, which is due in cinemas in December 2024. Also returning from the film will be Adam Pally as Wade Whipple,...
As the above slate confirms, the first episode of the series will be directed by Jeff Fowler, who helmed both Sonic The Hedgehog and Sonic The Hedgehog 2. The series, which will see Idris Elba reprise his role as the voice of Knuckles, takes place between the second film and the upcoming third entry, which is due in cinemas in December 2024. Also returning from the film will be Adam Pally as Wade Whipple,...
- 4/17/2023
- by Ben Travis
- Empire - Movies
While The Super Mario Bros. Movie continues to dominate the box office, Paramount is rubbing its paws together at the thought of releasing Knuckles, a Sonic the Hedgehog spinoff series for Paramount+. With video game adaptations becoming more popular than ever, thanks to the success of Sonic the Hedgehog, The Last of Us, and Illumination’s Mario movie, it’s the perfect time to expand the Sonic Universe for television. Idris Elba plays Knuckles the Echidna in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and will reprise the role for the series. Edi Patterson, Julian Barratt, Scott Mescudi, and Ellie Taylor also join the cast alongside Adam Pally, who will reprise the role of Walt Whipple. Rory McCann guest stars.
The plot for Sega and Paramount’s Knuckles series revolves around Knuckles’ journey of self-discovery while training Wade Whipple as his protégé. The story occurs between Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Sonic the Hedgehog 3,...
The plot for Sega and Paramount’s Knuckles series revolves around Knuckles’ journey of self-discovery while training Wade Whipple as his protégé. The story occurs between Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Sonic the Hedgehog 3,...
- 4/17/2023
- by Steve Seigh
- JoBlo.com
The live-action “Knuckles” series starring Idris Elba at Paramount+ has assembled its cast.
The show was first announced in February 2022. In addition to Elba reprising the role of Knuckles from “Sonic the Hedgehog 2,” Variety has learned that Adam Pally is set to star in the series, once again playing the role of Wade Whipple from the film franchise.
The film takes place between the events of “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” and “Sonic the Hedgehog 3,” which is slated to hit theaters Dec. 20, 2024. In the series, Knuckles “agrees to train Wade as his protégé and teach him the ways of the Echidna warrior,” per the official logline.
Edi Patterson (“The Righteous Gemstones”), Julian Barratt (“Mindhorn”), Scott Mescudi (“Don’t Look Up”), and Ellie Taylor (“Ted Lasso”) will recur in the series. Rory McCann (“Game of Thrones”) will guest star, as will Tika Sumpter, reprising the role of Maddie from the films.
The show was first announced in February 2022. In addition to Elba reprising the role of Knuckles from “Sonic the Hedgehog 2,” Variety has learned that Adam Pally is set to star in the series, once again playing the role of Wade Whipple from the film franchise.
The film takes place between the events of “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” and “Sonic the Hedgehog 3,” which is slated to hit theaters Dec. 20, 2024. In the series, Knuckles “agrees to train Wade as his protégé and teach him the ways of the Echidna warrior,” per the official logline.
Edi Patterson (“The Righteous Gemstones”), Julian Barratt (“Mindhorn”), Scott Mescudi (“Don’t Look Up”), and Ellie Taylor (“Ted Lasso”) will recur in the series. Rory McCann (“Game of Thrones”) will guest star, as will Tika Sumpter, reprising the role of Maddie from the films.
- 4/17/2023
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Edi Patterson, Julian Barratt, Scott Mescudi, Ellie Taylor have joined the cast of of the Paramount+ and Sega series Knuckles, with Idris Elba set to reprise role of titular character. Adam Pally, who appeared in the most recent Sonic the Hedgehog sequel will reprise role of Walt Whipple with Rory McCann guest starring. In addition, Tika Sumpter will guest star, reprising her role as Maddie.
The series is currently in production and will follow Knuckles on a hilarious and action-packed journey of self-discovery as he agrees to train Wade as his protégé and teach him the ways of the Echidna warrior. The series takes place between the films Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Sonic the Hedgehog 3, marking the next installment of the hit franchise, which is slated for Dec. 20, 2024.
All of the key creative team from the previous films are returning for the series, including Jeff Fowler, the films’ director,...
The series is currently in production and will follow Knuckles on a hilarious and action-packed journey of self-discovery as he agrees to train Wade as his protégé and teach him the ways of the Echidna warrior. The series takes place between the films Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Sonic the Hedgehog 3, marking the next installment of the hit franchise, which is slated for Dec. 20, 2024.
All of the key creative team from the previous films are returning for the series, including Jeff Fowler, the films’ director,...
- 4/17/2023
- by Justin Kroll
- Deadline Film + TV
Billy Eichner’s “Bros” made history as the first gay rom-com to be given a wide theatrical release by a major studio, as well as the first with an all-openly LGBTQ cast. From the nightclub where Eichner’s Bobby meets and falls in love with Luke McFarlane’s buff Aaron, to the LGBTQ+ Museum grand opening, the Big Apple love story features several amazing sets — as well as a carefully curated DVD shelf.
While production for “Bros” was originally meant to take place in Buffalo, N.Y, the pandemic thwarted plans, and with a new tax credit incentive, New Jersey became the stand-in for the rom-com (with a few scenes shot on the streets of New York and Provincetown). Sitting down with Variety, writer-director Nicholas Stoller and production designer Lisa Myers share insight into the film’s key sets.
Bobby’s Apartment Bobby’s apartment had depth, but was small...
While production for “Bros” was originally meant to take place in Buffalo, N.Y, the pandemic thwarted plans, and with a new tax credit incentive, New Jersey became the stand-in for the rom-com (with a few scenes shot on the streets of New York and Provincetown). Sitting down with Variety, writer-director Nicholas Stoller and production designer Lisa Myers share insight into the film’s key sets.
Bobby’s Apartment Bobby’s apartment had depth, but was small...
- 10/4/2022
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
After 120 years, give or take, Hollywood finally has a mainstream queer rom-com answer to films like Nora Ephron’s “You’ve Got Mail” and “Sleepless in Seattle.” Hell, it’s taken just as long to make a mainstream LGBTQ movie that isn’t about pain and suffering or trauma or systemic homophobia. Enter screenwriter/star Billy Eichner and director Nicholas Stoller’s “Bros,” .
The actual breaking of ground is that the cast is top-to-toe gay, gay, gay… and that’s pretty much where it stops. The screenplay’s contours are broadly conventional, but that’s a good thing. When we talk about wanting to be seen, a lot of us really mean that what we want is a gay version of our ’90s rom-coms when the genre was at its best. “Bros” fits the bill.
Fusing his manic “Billy on the Street” persona with the more self-deprecating misanthrope of his brilliant Hulu series “Difficult People,...
The actual breaking of ground is that the cast is top-to-toe gay, gay, gay… and that’s pretty much where it stops. The screenplay’s contours are broadly conventional, but that’s a good thing. When we talk about wanting to be seen, a lot of us really mean that what we want is a gay version of our ’90s rom-coms when the genre was at its best. “Bros” fits the bill.
Fusing his manic “Billy on the Street” persona with the more self-deprecating misanthrope of his brilliant Hulu series “Difficult People,...
- 9/10/2022
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
When disaster seemed imminent for director Jeff Fowler’s first adaptation of Sega’s blue hedgehog video game megastar Sonic, who looked rather horrifying, a strange thing happened. In the face of a wave of overwhelming disdain surrounding Sonic’s design, Paramount studio listened, put in the work and improved their overall end product no end.
As a result 2020’s Sonic the Hedgehog is warmly embraced by audiences as one of the best video game adaptations (a very narrow field) out there, and to boot the film also was a kind of resurgence for Jim Carrey, who tapped into his ’90s comedy energy to steal the show as villain Dr. Robotnik. Now, two years later, we are back, with a sequel that is not only perfect for its intended audience, but is a big fun, action packed family film treat ahead of summer blockbuster season.
The film catches up with...
As a result 2020’s Sonic the Hedgehog is warmly embraced by audiences as one of the best video game adaptations (a very narrow field) out there, and to boot the film also was a kind of resurgence for Jim Carrey, who tapped into his ’90s comedy energy to steal the show as villain Dr. Robotnik. Now, two years later, we are back, with a sequel that is not only perfect for its intended audience, but is a big fun, action packed family film treat ahead of summer blockbuster season.
The film catches up with...
- 4/29/2022
- by Jack Bottomley
- The Cultural Post
Stars: Seth Rogen, Sarah Snook, Jorma Taccome, Molly Evensen, Eliot Glazer, Kalen Allen | Written by Simon Rich | Directed by Brandon Trost
Seth Rogen pulls double duty in this bittersweet fish-out-of-water comedy based on an acclaimed short story by comic writer Simon Rich. It’s an entertaining, oddly touching picture that finds Rogen on top form, twice.
Opening in the fictional Polish shtetl of Schlupsk, An American Pickle centres on lowly, bearded ditch-digger Herschel Greenbaum (Rogen), who moves to America with his pregnant wife Sarah (Succession‘s Sarah Snook) after one too many attacks by Jew-hating Cossacks. Herschel gets a job as a rat-basher in a pickle factory, but accidentally falls into a vat of pickles, just as the factory is closed down.
100 years later, Herschel wakes up, the pickle brine having miraculously kept him alive. He is dismayed to discover that his only living relative is his great-grandson Ben Greenbaum...
Seth Rogen pulls double duty in this bittersweet fish-out-of-water comedy based on an acclaimed short story by comic writer Simon Rich. It’s an entertaining, oddly touching picture that finds Rogen on top form, twice.
Opening in the fictional Polish shtetl of Schlupsk, An American Pickle centres on lowly, bearded ditch-digger Herschel Greenbaum (Rogen), who moves to America with his pregnant wife Sarah (Succession‘s Sarah Snook) after one too many attacks by Jew-hating Cossacks. Herschel gets a job as a rat-basher in a pickle factory, but accidentally falls into a vat of pickles, just as the factory is closed down.
100 years later, Herschel wakes up, the pickle brine having miraculously kept him alive. He is dismayed to discover that his only living relative is his great-grandson Ben Greenbaum...
- 12/4/2020
- by Matthew Turner
- Nerdly
The awards landscape is saturated with multiple voting bodies and critics groups naming their favorite movies of the year. As is tradition, the IFP Gotham Awards will be the first to reveal its nominations on Nov. 12, celebrating its 30th anniversary. In the past, the group has been a viable launching pad for films that have gone on to win best picture at the Oscars such as “Birdman,” “Spotlight” and “Moonlight.” IFP is planning a hybrid show at its usual Cipriani Wall Street venue in January.
With the Covid-19 pandemic decimating the movie industry, the Gotham Awards will take on an even more important role this year in establishing the narrative for a very unusual award season.
“Welcoming everyone back to New York is an important message to send,” IFP executive director Jeff Sharp tells me. “No one is sitting around twiddling their thumbs. It’s a remarkable time to sell...
With the Covid-19 pandemic decimating the movie industry, the Gotham Awards will take on an even more important role this year in establishing the narrative for a very unusual award season.
“Welcoming everyone back to New York is an important message to send,” IFP executive director Jeff Sharp tells me. “No one is sitting around twiddling their thumbs. It’s a remarkable time to sell...
- 11/5/2020
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
by Juan Carlos Ojano
Seth Rogen has built a career mostly composed of comedies of all kinds, from stoner films to dysfunctional family dramedies. In his past decade of work only Take This Waltz and Steve Jobs can be considered dramatic. In An American Pickle, directed by Brandon Trost and written by Simon Rich, Rogen does not leave his comedy roots but instead, digs deeper with the humor and comic storytelling.
An American Pickle is about Herschel Greenbaum (Rogen), a Jewish man from 1919 Russia who moves to New York with his wife Sarah (Succession’s Sarah Snook) in search of a better life after an anti-Semitic attack on their hometown. However, an accident in a pickle factory causes him to be brined for 100 years. After waking up in 2019, he connects with his only living relative Ben (also Rogen)...
Seth Rogen has built a career mostly composed of comedies of all kinds, from stoner films to dysfunctional family dramedies. In his past decade of work only Take This Waltz and Steve Jobs can be considered dramatic. In An American Pickle, directed by Brandon Trost and written by Simon Rich, Rogen does not leave his comedy roots but instead, digs deeper with the humor and comic storytelling.
An American Pickle is about Herschel Greenbaum (Rogen), a Jewish man from 1919 Russia who moves to New York with his wife Sarah (Succession’s Sarah Snook) in search of a better life after an anti-Semitic attack on their hometown. However, an accident in a pickle factory causes him to be brined for 100 years. After waking up in 2019, he connects with his only living relative Ben (also Rogen)...
- 8/10/2020
- by Juan Carlos Ojano
- FilmExperience
Stars: Seth Rogen, Sarah Snook, Jorma Taccome, Molly Evensen, Eliot Glazer, Kalen Allen | Written by Simon Rich | Directed by Brandon Trost
Seth Rogen pulls double duty in this bittersweet fish-out-of-water comedy based on an acclaimed short story by comic writer Simon Rich. It’s an entertaining, oddly touching picture that finds Rogen on top form, twice.
Opening in the fictional Polish shtetl of Schlupsk, An American Pickle centres on lowly, bearded ditch-digger Herschel Greenbaum (Rogen), who moves to America with his pregnant wife Sarah (Succession‘s Sarah Snook) after one too many attacks by Jew-hating Cossacks. Herschel gets a job as a rat-basher in a pickle factory, but accidentally falls into a vat of pickles, just as the factory is closed down.
100 years later, Herschel wakes up, the pickle brine having miraculously kept him alive. He is dismayed to discover that his only living relative is his great-grandson Ben Greenbaum...
Seth Rogen pulls double duty in this bittersweet fish-out-of-water comedy based on an acclaimed short story by comic writer Simon Rich. It’s an entertaining, oddly touching picture that finds Rogen on top form, twice.
Opening in the fictional Polish shtetl of Schlupsk, An American Pickle centres on lowly, bearded ditch-digger Herschel Greenbaum (Rogen), who moves to America with his pregnant wife Sarah (Succession‘s Sarah Snook) after one too many attacks by Jew-hating Cossacks. Herschel gets a job as a rat-basher in a pickle factory, but accidentally falls into a vat of pickles, just as the factory is closed down.
100 years later, Herschel wakes up, the pickle brine having miraculously kept him alive. He is dismayed to discover that his only living relative is his great-grandson Ben Greenbaum...
- 8/10/2020
- by Matthew Turner
- Nerdly
An American Pickle made me cringe in advance. The premise of this comedy, the first original film from HBO Max, sounded vastly unpromising. Seth Rogen, playing a bearded, old-world Jewish man, falls into a pickle vat and is preserved there for a century, then awakens to our modern world, where he meets his only living descendent, a clean-shaven schlub also played by Rogen. What a stereotype-filled crapfest, I thought. Even the title seemed crudely obvious.
To my surprise, however, the film starts on an inspired note. In a prologue set in his homeland, Herschel Greenbaum (Rogen) labors as a ditch digger and courts the beguiling Sarah (Sarah Snook).
Director Brandon Trost, a regular Rogen collaborator and a longtime cinematographer, goes all out visually here; the prologue closely resembles actual vintage film footage. Given the aura of authenticity, it’s a surprise and a kick whenever there’s a sight gag or goofy line,...
To my surprise, however, the film starts on an inspired note. In a prologue set in his homeland, Herschel Greenbaum (Rogen) labors as a ditch digger and courts the beguiling Sarah (Sarah Snook).
Director Brandon Trost, a regular Rogen collaborator and a longtime cinematographer, goes all out visually here; the prologue closely resembles actual vintage film footage. Given the aura of authenticity, it’s a surprise and a kick whenever there’s a sight gag or goofy line,...
- 8/8/2020
- by Mark Benedict
- We Got This Covered
While the Hollywood studios continue to keep their tentpoles locked up till most American cinemas reopen, indie distributors are releasing a handful of smaller movies with big stars in supporting roles this week.
Can’t wait to see Robert Pattinson in “Tenet”? Well, you can always catch him in the festival-anointed imperialist critique “Waiting for the Barbarians.” While the release date for “Dune” remains in question, Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgård leads the well-reviewed Scandinavian drama “Out Stealing Horses,” about a widower’s return to the country. And before Liam Neeson returns to action-hero mode with “Honest Thief,” you can watch him playing opposite real-life son Micheál Richardson in “Made in Italy.”
Ok, those pairings probably aren’t for the same potential audiences at all, but it’s still nice to see versatile actors’ more serious work finding its way to streaming. And not all the week’s movies are minor.
Can’t wait to see Robert Pattinson in “Tenet”? Well, you can always catch him in the festival-anointed imperialist critique “Waiting for the Barbarians.” While the release date for “Dune” remains in question, Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgård leads the well-reviewed Scandinavian drama “Out Stealing Horses,” about a widower’s return to the country. And before Liam Neeson returns to action-hero mode with “Honest Thief,” you can watch him playing opposite real-life son Micheál Richardson in “Made in Italy.”
Ok, those pairings probably aren’t for the same potential audiences at all, but it’s still nice to see versatile actors’ more serious work finding its way to streaming. And not all the week’s movies are minor.
- 8/7/2020
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
There’s a charming weirdness at the core of An American Pickle, the latest Seth Rogen star vehicle. It’s a movie that sounds like it could be either amazing or terrible, depending on the execution. Luckily, Rogen and company give it a steady hand, as well as a singular identity, making the comedy a really enjoyable one. By leaning into the premise and its various possibilities, as opposed to getting bogged down in one specific aspect and solely going for laughs there, it’s a fuller meal, if you’ll pardon the expression. As the first HBO Max cinematic release, it’s a good get for the company. Out now, it’s quite entertaining. The film is a comedy, one with a high concept, to boot. 100 years ago, Hershel Greenbaum (Rogen) is a simple gravedigger, one whose dreams of luxury include getting to taste seltzer water. When he meets...
- 8/7/2020
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
Family is a tricky thing. Most people rest assured knowing that their family loves them….but does that mean their family likes them too?
Such is the conflict at the center of HBO Max’s Seth Rogen-starring comedy An American Pickle. Rogen stars as both Herschel Greenbaum and his great grandson Ben Greenbaum. Herschel is a salt-of-the-earth old world Jewish man who becomes quite literally salty when he falls into a vat of pickles and is perfectly preserved for a century. He wakes up to a world of a gentrified Brooklyn, ubiquitous cell phones, and a disappointingly unmasculine descendent.
The concept comes from novelist, short story crafter, and TV writer Simon Rich, who couldn’t help but wonder what his great grandfather would think of his privileged, comfortable position in life. That hypothetical became the New Yorker-published short story “Sell Out”, which in turn became the script for An American Pickle.
Such is the conflict at the center of HBO Max’s Seth Rogen-starring comedy An American Pickle. Rogen stars as both Herschel Greenbaum and his great grandson Ben Greenbaum. Herschel is a salt-of-the-earth old world Jewish man who becomes quite literally salty when he falls into a vat of pickles and is perfectly preserved for a century. He wakes up to a world of a gentrified Brooklyn, ubiquitous cell phones, and a disappointingly unmasculine descendent.
The concept comes from novelist, short story crafter, and TV writer Simon Rich, who couldn’t help but wonder what his great grandfather would think of his privileged, comfortable position in life. That hypothetical became the New Yorker-published short story “Sell Out”, which in turn became the script for An American Pickle.
- 8/7/2020
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options—not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves–each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit platforms. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
An American Pickle (Brandon Trost)
Seth Rogen plays dual roles in his latest comedy, American Pickle follows Seth Rogen both as Herschel Greenbaum, an immigrant who falls in a vat of pickled is brined for 100 years, and his great-grandson Ben Greenbaum, who is a computer coder and lives a very different life, to say the least. While there are certainly humorous sequences (a Brooklyn hipster couple’s first impressions of Greenbaum’s pickle stand comes foremost to mind), Rogen is far more interested in the definitions of family and loyalty, themes that are not explored with a great deal of emotional impact, but do add some heart to what...
An American Pickle (Brandon Trost)
Seth Rogen plays dual roles in his latest comedy, American Pickle follows Seth Rogen both as Herschel Greenbaum, an immigrant who falls in a vat of pickled is brined for 100 years, and his great-grandson Ben Greenbaum, who is a computer coder and lives a very different life, to say the least. While there are certainly humorous sequences (a Brooklyn hipster couple’s first impressions of Greenbaum’s pickle stand comes foremost to mind), Rogen is far more interested in the definitions of family and loyalty, themes that are not explored with a great deal of emotional impact, but do add some heart to what...
- 8/7/2020
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Other openers include ‘Perfect 10’ in the UK and Paramount’s horror ‘Body Cam’ in Germany.
UK-Ireland, opening Friday August 7
With Tenet still on the horizon, new releases are scarce this weekend in the UK and Ireland.
However Warner Bros will be hoping to pick up useful information for the Tenet release through the rollout of Brandon Trost’s An American Picklein over 100 locations.
Starring Seth Rogen and produced with his Superbadco-creator Evan Goldberg, the film sees an immigrant worker at a pickle factory become accidentally preserved for 100 years, and wake up in modern day Brooklyn.
The film is US...
UK-Ireland, opening Friday August 7
With Tenet still on the horizon, new releases are scarce this weekend in the UK and Ireland.
However Warner Bros will be hoping to pick up useful information for the Tenet release through the rollout of Brandon Trost’s An American Picklein over 100 locations.
Starring Seth Rogen and produced with his Superbadco-creator Evan Goldberg, the film sees an immigrant worker at a pickle factory become accidentally preserved for 100 years, and wake up in modern day Brooklyn.
The film is US...
- 8/7/2020
- by 1101321¦Ben Dalton¦26¦¬158¦Martin Blaney¦40¦¬1101325¦Gabriele Niola¦35¦
- ScreenDaily
Other openers include ‘Perfect 10’ in the UK and Paramount’s horror ‘Body Cam’ in Germany.
UK-Ireland, opening Friday August 7
With Tenet still on the horizon, new releases are scarce this weekend in the UK and Ireland.
However Warner Bros will be hoping to pick up useful information for the Tenet release through the rollout of Brandon Trost’s An American Picklein over 100 locations.
Starring Seth Rogen and produced with his Superbadco-creator Evan Goldberg, the film sees an immigrant worker at a pickle factory become accidentally preserved for 100 years, and wake up in modern day Brooklyn.
The film is US...
UK-Ireland, opening Friday August 7
With Tenet still on the horizon, new releases are scarce this weekend in the UK and Ireland.
However Warner Bros will be hoping to pick up useful information for the Tenet release through the rollout of Brandon Trost’s An American Picklein over 100 locations.
Starring Seth Rogen and produced with his Superbadco-creator Evan Goldberg, the film sees an immigrant worker at a pickle factory become accidentally preserved for 100 years, and wake up in modern day Brooklyn.
The film is US...
- 8/7/2020
- by 1101321¦Ben Dalton¦26¦¬158¦Martin Blaney¦40¦¬1101325¦Gabriele Niola¦35¦
- ScreenDaily
The origins of the Seth Rogen-starring comedy, An American Pickle, trace back to 2013 when writer Simon Rich asked himself one crucial question: How would he fare in a bare knuckle brawl against his great-grandfather?
A humorous, exaggerated query, to be sure, but Rich’s amusing hypothetical arose from examining ideas of family, generations, and progress—or the seeming lack thereof. Modern life had become quite comfortable for Rich, a successful novelist, short story crafter, and TV writer. How would his ancestors, whose lives were anything but, feel about that?
“I’ve always been interested in my ancestors’ story,” Rich says. “All of my ancestors were Eastern European Jews who immigrated to the United States with very little money. They had extremely difficult lives. They were all fleeing oppression and in contrast, my life has been incredibly easy and privileged in every conceivable way. They all had very grueling, physically challenging jobs,...
A humorous, exaggerated query, to be sure, but Rich’s amusing hypothetical arose from examining ideas of family, generations, and progress—or the seeming lack thereof. Modern life had become quite comfortable for Rich, a successful novelist, short story crafter, and TV writer. How would his ancestors, whose lives were anything but, feel about that?
“I’ve always been interested in my ancestors’ story,” Rich says. “All of my ancestors were Eastern European Jews who immigrated to the United States with very little money. They had extremely difficult lives. They were all fleeing oppression and in contrast, my life has been incredibly easy and privileged in every conceivable way. They all had very grueling, physically challenging jobs,...
- 8/6/2020
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
An American Pickle is a tale of two Seth Rogen comedies. While I’d hesitate to label either as the best or worst of times, one is at least pretty good, and the other not so much; one an unassuming slice of schmaltz, and the other a reheated leftover from decades-old dude-bro comedies. Between them lies a charming if slight experience, but even that’s as bisected as the shots in which Rogen appears on screen twice, first as an early 20th century Jewish immigrant who’s been essentially time-warped to the present, and then as his modern day great-grandson. The dueling impulses of this concept elicits a few chuckles, but like Rogen the Younger’s character, it never quite realizes its full potential.
Arriving on HBO Max on Thursday after originally being slated for a Sony Pictures release in 2020, An American Pickle comes as an unlikely beneficiary of the current moviegoing climate.
Arriving on HBO Max on Thursday after originally being slated for a Sony Pictures release in 2020, An American Pickle comes as an unlikely beneficiary of the current moviegoing climate.
- 8/6/2020
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
From “The Out-of-Towners” to “Splash” to “Coming to America” to “Enchanted” and beyond, there’s a long history of movies in which waifs, innocents, outsiders and fish out of water gaze at the streets of New York City with uncomprehending awe and then try to make their way through a landscape that seems as foreign to them as the dark side of the moon. And with Seth Rogen joining that roster with “An American Pickle,” you have to figure that his entry will be among the goofiest, broadest and loopiest of the bunch.
It’s not. Despite Rogen in dual roles as an Eastern European peasant who awakens in Brooklyn after 100 years in a vat of pickles and as his great grandson, a freelance app developer, this is a surprisingly subdued and sentimental riff on Rip Van Winkle meets “Being There.” You might find yourself unexpectedly touched by it, but...
It’s not. Despite Rogen in dual roles as an Eastern European peasant who awakens in Brooklyn after 100 years in a vat of pickles and as his great grandson, a freelance app developer, this is a surprisingly subdued and sentimental riff on Rip Van Winkle meets “Being There.” You might find yourself unexpectedly touched by it, but...
- 8/4/2020
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Before it hits a bump in the plot that throws it out of whack, An American Pickle rides high on a double dose of Seth Rogen, with the brash comedian plays dual roles separated by a century. The first is Herschel Greenbaum, a ditch-digger from the fictional Eastern European shtetl of Schlupsk circa 1919, and who sports a Tevye beard that makes him look ready to belt out “If I Were a Rich Man.” Herschel is in love with Sarah (Sarah Snook), a headstrong beauty who has all her teeth, quite the rarity in Schlupsk.
- 8/4/2020
- by Peter Travers
- Rollingstone.com
An American Pickle HBO Max Reviewed for Shockya.com & BigAppleReviews.net linked from Rotten Tomatoes by: Harvey Karten Director: Brandon Trost Screenwriter: Simon Rich adapted from his novella “Sell Out” in New Yorker Magazine Cast: Seth Rogen, Sarah Snook, Sean Whalen, Jorma Taccone, Joanna Adler, Jeff Daniel Phillips, David Mattey Screened at: Critics’ link, NYC, 7/30/20 […]
The post An American Pickle Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post An American Pickle Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 8/3/2020
- by Harvey Karten
- ShockYa
Relish the Moment: Trost Attempts a New Colossus in Simplistic Comedy
In a familiar idea which sounds better on paper as a comedic scenario than it does as a film, cinematographer Brandon Trost makes his first solo directorial effort An American Pickle with two dual roles for Seth Rogen. While mildly amusing and not without the ability to generate a few chuckles, it turns out there is too much of a good thing when it comes to Rogen, who dominates nearly every frame in a tale of modern-day Brooklyn. Easily manufactured metaphors about heritage, family and our contemporary culture built on the religious hypocrisy which has bloomed into fascism and nationalism, all feel like neutered afterthoughts in the wake of various shenanigans which conveniently neglect the most interesting potential elements of its framework.…...
In a familiar idea which sounds better on paper as a comedic scenario than it does as a film, cinematographer Brandon Trost makes his first solo directorial effort An American Pickle with two dual roles for Seth Rogen. While mildly amusing and not without the ability to generate a few chuckles, it turns out there is too much of a good thing when it comes to Rogen, who dominates nearly every frame in a tale of modern-day Brooklyn. Easily manufactured metaphors about heritage, family and our contemporary culture built on the religious hypocrisy which has bloomed into fascism and nationalism, all feel like neutered afterthoughts in the wake of various shenanigans which conveniently neglect the most interesting potential elements of its framework.…...
- 8/3/2020
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Few American actors have stayed in their lane as consistently as Seth Rogen, whose raspy stoner chuckle radiates with what-see-is-what-you-get conviction. “An American Pickle” turns that archetype inside out: Playing both an Eastern European Jew tossed into modern-day Manhattan through the magic of the brining process, as well as that same character’s bumbling modern-day great-grandchild, Rogen’s bizarre dual performance explores the roots of the slacker archetype in Jewish guilt.
It’s a total one-note joke — Tevye the Milkman meets “Encino Man” — and Rogen runs with it as far as he can, while the movie struggles to keep pace. Pitched somewhere between outrageous satire and sincerity, the movie has a tough time finding its priorities, but it’s endearing to watch it try. After all, that’s the same conundrum facing Ben Greenbaum, the modern-day New Yorker tasked with orienting Herschel Greenbaum to 21st century life even as the...
It’s a total one-note joke — Tevye the Milkman meets “Encino Man” — and Rogen runs with it as far as he can, while the movie struggles to keep pace. Pitched somewhere between outrageous satire and sincerity, the movie has a tough time finding its priorities, but it’s endearing to watch it try. After all, that’s the same conundrum facing Ben Greenbaum, the modern-day New Yorker tasked with orienting Herschel Greenbaum to 21st century life even as the...
- 8/3/2020
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
“An American Pickle” is a comedy that connects you to something so old world that it seems, at times, to be an artifact of prehistory. No, I’m not talking about Herschel Greenbaum (Seth Rogen), a glumly bearded Orthodox Jewish ditch digger from 1919 who escapes the Cossacks by emigrating from Schlupsk (a fictional Eastern European country) to New York City, where he finds work in a pickle factory and ends up tumbling into a vat of briny cucumbers — only to wake up, 100 years later, like Rip Van Winkle crossed with Tevye. There’s no denying that Herschel, with his peasant rags, his beady-eyed glower, and his Yiddish accent as thick as a knish, is a dusty relic of a character. But the age-old thing I’m referring to is that once-pivotal, now-faded form, the fish-out-of-water comedy.
You remember those! They were big in the 1980s, when they could be spry...
You remember those! They were big in the 1980s, when they could be spry...
- 8/3/2020
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
Rogen plays a pickle-factory worker accidentally preserved for 100 years – and the hipster great-grandson he shacks up with in 21st-century Brooklyn
Simon Rich is the New Yorker humorist and Pixar writer whose short stories are as addictive as crack. One of these, Sell Out, from his 2014 collection Spoilt Brats, has now been turned into a movie, with Rich as screenwriter and producer, cinematographer Brandon Trost making his feature directing debut, and Seth Rogen playing both the zany, twin-type lead roles: one with big bushy beard, one without.
What was a very funny piece of writing has become a funny film, with a broad streak of conservative sentimentality added like artificial flavouring, all about an innocent in New York in the fish-out-of-water tradition of Borat or Crocodile Dundee. The film gives us some wry insights about work, family, the American dream and an ironised Topol-like wail of “Tradition!”...
Simon Rich is the New Yorker humorist and Pixar writer whose short stories are as addictive as crack. One of these, Sell Out, from his 2014 collection Spoilt Brats, has now been turned into a movie, with Rich as screenwriter and producer, cinematographer Brandon Trost making his feature directing debut, and Seth Rogen playing both the zany, twin-type lead roles: one with big bushy beard, one without.
What was a very funny piece of writing has become a funny film, with a broad streak of conservative sentimentality added like artificial flavouring, all about an innocent in New York in the fish-out-of-water tradition of Borat or Crocodile Dundee. The film gives us some wry insights about work, family, the American dream and an ironised Topol-like wail of “Tradition!”...
- 8/3/2020
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Warner Bros. has dropped a new trailer for ‘An American Pickle’ starring Seth Rogen ahead of its release this Friday.
Seth Rogen plays Herschel Greenbaum, a struggling labourer who immigrates to America in 1919 with dreams of building a better life for his beloved family. One day, while working at his factory job, he falls into a vat of pickles and is brined for 100 years. The brine preserves him perfectly and when he emerges in present-day Brooklyn, he finds that he hasn’t aged a day. But when he seeks out his family, he is troubled to learn that his only surviving relative is his great-grandson Ben Greenbaum (also played by Seth Rogen), a mild-mannered computer coder whom Herschel can’t even begin to understand.
Directed by Brandon Trost from a script by Simon Rich, the film is produced by Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg and James Weaver. Simon Rich executive produced...
Seth Rogen plays Herschel Greenbaum, a struggling labourer who immigrates to America in 1919 with dreams of building a better life for his beloved family. One day, while working at his factory job, he falls into a vat of pickles and is brined for 100 years. The brine preserves him perfectly and when he emerges in present-day Brooklyn, he finds that he hasn’t aged a day. But when he seeks out his family, he is troubled to learn that his only surviving relative is his great-grandson Ben Greenbaum (also played by Seth Rogen), a mild-mannered computer coder whom Herschel can’t even begin to understand.
Directed by Brandon Trost from a script by Simon Rich, the film is produced by Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg and James Weaver. Simon Rich executive produced...
- 8/3/2020
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Seth Rogen plays a 1920s immigrant who, after a century-long slumber in a vat of pickle brine, awakens and meets his great-grandson (also played by Rogen) in the first trailer for An American Pickle.
In the trailer for the HBO Max film, Rogen plays Herschel Greenbaum, who emigrates to America with his wife with the hope of pursuing the American Dream.
“One day, while working at his factory job, he falls into a vat of pickles and is brined for 100 years. The brine preserves him perfectly and when he emerges in present-day Brooklyn,...
In the trailer for the HBO Max film, Rogen plays Herschel Greenbaum, who emigrates to America with his wife with the hope of pursuing the American Dream.
“One day, while working at his factory job, he falls into a vat of pickles and is brined for 100 years. The brine preserves him perfectly and when he emerges in present-day Brooklyn,...
- 7/5/2020
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
Seth Rogen is one of the most reliable names in cinematic comedy. Even on the small screen, anything he creates or produces is almost certainly given an immediate stamp of quality. So, when he has a new project hitting, it’s fair to have a solid deal of confidence in it. Next month, his latest movie is hitting screens, but now through HBO Max, as opposed to theaters. It’s An American Pickle, a very high concept comedy, one that actually got its first Trailer yesterday. You can see it down below, but first, a bit of discussion about it is in order. Spoiler alert: it looks good. The film is, as you might imagine, a comedy. One of the synopsises found on IMDb goes as follows: “A simple Jewish man named Herschel Greenbaum works in a pickle factory in Brooklyn. One day he falls into a vat of brine and stays there,...
- 7/4/2020
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
HBO Max released the first trailer for the Seth Rogen comedy “An American Pickle” on Friday.
Directed by frequent Rogen collaborator Brandon Trost, the comedy is based on Simon Rich’s New Yorker novella “Sell Out” and stars Seth Rogen in dual roles as Herschel Greenbaum, a struggling laborer who falls into a vat of pickles and is brined for 100 years, and Ben Greenbaum, the great-grandson who greets Herschel when he emerges from the pickle brine without having aged a day.
The film will premiere on the streaming service on Thursday, Aug. 6. Watch the trailer above.
Also Read: A Month After HBO Max Launched, Why Is It Still Not on Roku or Amazon?
Rich adapted his own story for the screen. Rogen, Evan Goldberg and James Weaver are producers for their Point Grey productions. The executive producers are Rich, Point Grey’s Alex McAtee and Ted Gidlow.
HBO Max acquired...
Directed by frequent Rogen collaborator Brandon Trost, the comedy is based on Simon Rich’s New Yorker novella “Sell Out” and stars Seth Rogen in dual roles as Herschel Greenbaum, a struggling laborer who falls into a vat of pickles and is brined for 100 years, and Ben Greenbaum, the great-grandson who greets Herschel when he emerges from the pickle brine without having aged a day.
The film will premiere on the streaming service on Thursday, Aug. 6. Watch the trailer above.
Also Read: A Month After HBO Max Launched, Why Is It Still Not on Roku or Amazon?
Rich adapted his own story for the screen. Rogen, Evan Goldberg and James Weaver are producers for their Point Grey productions. The executive producers are Rich, Point Grey’s Alex McAtee and Ted Gidlow.
HBO Max acquired...
- 7/3/2020
- by Reid Nakamura
- The Wrap
For everyone who has ever wished for a film starring Seth Rogen as two characters — one with a penchant for pickles — the trailer for “An American Pickle” has easily made their hyper-specific dream come true.
Directed by Brandon Trost and based on Simon Rich’s 2013 New Yorker novella, “An American Pickle” — HBO Max’s first original film — stars Rogen as both Herschel Greenbaum, a struggling laborer who immigrates to America in 1920, and Ben Greenbaum, Herschel’s mild-mannered computer programmer grandson.
The film brings both Greenbaums together as the result of Herschel’s accident in the pickle factory in which he works, where he is brined in a vat and preserved for 100 years, emerging in present-day Brooklyn to be with Ben, his only remaining relative.From the trailer, Herschel’s quest for the American dream doesn’t just stop after he’s fallen into a vat of pickles. The film focuses...
Directed by Brandon Trost and based on Simon Rich’s 2013 New Yorker novella, “An American Pickle” — HBO Max’s first original film — stars Rogen as both Herschel Greenbaum, a struggling laborer who immigrates to America in 1920, and Ben Greenbaum, Herschel’s mild-mannered computer programmer grandson.
The film brings both Greenbaums together as the result of Herschel’s accident in the pickle factory in which he works, where he is brined in a vat and preserved for 100 years, emerging in present-day Brooklyn to be with Ben, his only remaining relative.From the trailer, Herschel’s quest for the American dream doesn’t just stop after he’s fallen into a vat of pickles. The film focuses...
- 7/3/2020
- by LaToya Ferguson
- Indiewire
HBO Max has revealed the first trailer for “An American Pickle,” an upcoming comedy starring Seth Rogen set to premiere on the platform on Aug. 6.
Directed by his frequent collaborator Brandon Trost, Rogen plays Herschel Greenbaum, a Polish ditch digger who immigrates to the U.S. in 1920 to fulfill his American dream. Herschel finds work at a pickle factory, only to fall into a vat of brine, putting him into suspended animation.
A century later, Herschel emerges from the brine in 2020, fully preserved. Although all of his immediate family members have died, Herschel is able to locate his great-grandson, Ben — who is also played by Rogen.
The two struggle to relate to each other in terms of family values, music and culture, with Herschel even pointing to a poster of David Bowie on Ben’s wall and asking, “Is this your father?” Still, Ben helps Herschel adapt to the 21st century,...
Directed by his frequent collaborator Brandon Trost, Rogen plays Herschel Greenbaum, a Polish ditch digger who immigrates to the U.S. in 1920 to fulfill his American dream. Herschel finds work at a pickle factory, only to fall into a vat of brine, putting him into suspended animation.
A century later, Herschel emerges from the brine in 2020, fully preserved. Although all of his immediate family members have died, Herschel is able to locate his great-grandson, Ben — who is also played by Rogen.
The two struggle to relate to each other in terms of family values, music and culture, with Herschel even pointing to a poster of David Bowie on Ben’s wall and asking, “Is this your father?” Still, Ben helps Herschel adapt to the 21st century,...
- 7/3/2020
- by Ellise Shafer
- Variety Film + TV
HBO Max has uploaded the first trailer for An American Pickle. Directed by Brandon Trost and based on Simon Rich’s New Yorker stories, this Seth Rogen-led comedy film will premiere on the freshly-launched streaming platform come August 6th.
In the movie, Rogen plays a middle-aged immigrant who leaves his fictional Eastern European home country to travel to America. In New York, he finds work in a pickle factory where, one day, he accidentally falls into a container. When he emerges a hundred years later, he finds that the brine juice of the pickles has left his body and mind completely intact.
The world, however, has changed dramatically during the time he was away. While his wife is dead, he does have a living great-grandson. This relative, played by Rogen as well, looks a lot more like the actor as we’re used to seeing him and familiar with...
In the movie, Rogen plays a middle-aged immigrant who leaves his fictional Eastern European home country to travel to America. In New York, he finds work in a pickle factory where, one day, he accidentally falls into a container. When he emerges a hundred years later, he finds that the brine juice of the pickles has left his body and mind completely intact.
The world, however, has changed dramatically during the time he was away. While his wife is dead, he does have a living great-grandson. This relative, played by Rogen as well, looks a lot more like the actor as we’re used to seeing him and familiar with...
- 7/3/2020
- by Tim Brinkhof
- We Got This Covered
"It's very pungent." HBO Max has unveiled the first official trailer for a wacky new high concept comedy titled An American Pickle, from filmmaker Brandon Trost and writer Simon Rich. Here's the concept: Seth Rogen stars as as "Herschel Greenbaum," a struggling laborer who immigrates to America in 1920 with dreams of building a better life for his beloved family. One day, while working at his factory job, he falls into a vat of pickles and is brined for 100 years. The brine preserves him perfectly and when he emerges in present day Brooklyn, he finds that he hasn’t aged a day. But when he seeks out his family, he is troubled to learn that his only surviving relative is his great grandson, "Ben Greenbaum" (also played by Rogen), a mild-mannered computer coder. You've got to see this! The cast includes Sarah Snook, Joanna Adler, Jorma Taccone, & Geoffrey Cantor. I love...
- 7/3/2020
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
You are not seeing double. Seth Rogen plays dual roles in his latest comedy, American Pickle. Directed by Brandon Trost, the film follows Rogen both as Herschel Greenbaum, an immigrant who falls in a vat of pickled is brined for 100 years, and his great grandson Ben Greenbaum, who is a computer coder. After Herschel emerges into the world of 2020, he finds much has changed. Once set for a theatrical release via Sony Pictures, it’ll now land on HBO Max in August and the first trailer has arrived.
“There was a real sense from people I know that thought maybe it was a joke and not an actual movie that we were spending huge amounts of time and energy working on,” Rogen tells USA Today. “What’s funny is, I didn’t eat one pickle throughout the entire movie. Herschel doesn’t get high on his own supply. Those pickles are for selling.
“There was a real sense from people I know that thought maybe it was a joke and not an actual movie that we were spending huge amounts of time and energy working on,” Rogen tells USA Today. “What’s funny is, I didn’t eat one pickle throughout the entire movie. Herschel doesn’t get high on his own supply. Those pickles are for selling.
- 7/3/2020
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.