Tika Sumpter Lands Female Lead in ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ Movie (EXCLUSIVE)

By Justin Kroll

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – “Ride Along” star Tika Sumpter is in negotiations to star opposite James Marsden in Paramount’s live-action/animation hybrid movie “Sonic the Hedgehog,” an adaptation of the classic video game, sources tell Variety.

The studio landed the film rights in 2017 and tapped Jeff Fowler to direct.

Neal H. Moritz, who recently signed a first-look deal with Paramount, is producing under his Original Film banner. “Deadpool” director Tim Miller will serve as executive producer, along with Toby Ascher. Dmitri Johnson and Dan Jevons will co-produce.

Sega launched the “Sonic” game in 1991 and has sold more than 360 million copies to date, including both packaged and digital games on consoles, tablets, and mobile.

The game features a hedgehog named Sonic on a quest to defeat Doctor Robotnik, a scientist who has imprisoned animals in robots and stolen magical Chaos Emeralds.

The movie is set to bow on Nov. 15, 2019. The film marks the first time that Sonic has ever been adapted for the big screen.

Sumpter, who is coming off the hit OWN and Tyler Perry show “The Haves and the Have Nots,” has started to nab roles on the big screen. She can next be seen in “The Old Man and the Gun,” and also has a role in Perry’s next directing gig, “The List,” opposite Tiffany Haddish.

She is repped by WME and Brookside Artist Management.