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“‘Jaws’ vs. ‘E.T.’?” Watch ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 3’s Ben Schwartz Pitch Keanu Reeves the Steven Spielberg Collab of a Lifetime

Dec 20, 2024

Summary

Keanu Reeves & Ben Schwartz bring Sonic & Shadow to life in
Sonic The Hedgehog 3
.
Director Jeff Fowler’s sequel reunites Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles to face the powerful new adversary, Shadow.
Reeves & Schwartz discuss Sonic, highlight Reeves’ role, and share comedic moments in the interview.

Bill and Ted! Neo and Trinity! John Wick and firearm! Keanu Reeves has been one-half of some of the most iconic duos in the history of cinema, and now we can finally add Sonic and Shadow to the list. After years of fans putting Reeves’ involvement with the series into the universe, we finally get to see Shadow the Hedgehog come to life in Sonic the Hedgehog 3. Sonic, of course, is played by the always enjoyable, endlessly energetic Ben Schwartz. Together, the actors make a pair fit for the vaudeville stage and are bound to overjoy audiences worldwide.

Director Jeff Fowler’s latest installment of the classic Sega adaptation, Sonic The Hedgehog 3 reunites Sonic (Schwartz), Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey), and Knuckles (Idris Elba), as they face a villain the likes of which the trio has never seen, Shadow the Hedgehog (Reeves). In order to defeat this mysterious new adversary, Team Sonic must seek out an unlikely alliance…with Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey).

Collider’s own Steve Weintraub had the pleasure of sitting across from Schwartz and Reeves to talk all things Sonic. Together, they performed some quick-witted improv, pitched some solid Steven Spielberg sequels, and discussed the unflinching influence of Keanu Reeves on the Sonic series from the start.

Keanu Reeves Would Totally Do Improv With Ben Schwartz
“He is fearless!”
Image via Paramount Pictures

BEN SCHWARTZ: Have you been in a Spielberg film?

KEANU REEVES: No.

SCHWARTZ: Okay. I’m going to sell a Spielberg film with me and Keanu.

COLLIDER: I like that plan. I accept.

SCHWARTZ: Okay. E.T. 2?

REEVES: No.

SCHWARTZ: Oh, right. I’ll think of a better one. Jaws 2?

REEVES: No.

SCHWARTZ: I’ll think of a better one. Jaws vs. E.T?

REEVES: No!

SCHWARTZ: I’ll think of a better one. Sorry. Yes.

Do you know that he does improv?

REEVES: No.

2:27 Related Move Over MCU, ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 3’ Is Outdoing Your Post-Credit Scene Game You’ll need to watch all 109 minutes.

This is not how I was going to start, but you have sold out Radio City [Music Hall] doing improv.

REEVES: This is great. Do it in front of Keanu, so he knows. This is great! Unbelievable.

I’m pitching for you: would you ever consider doing improv with him on stage?

REEVES. Absolutely!

SCHWARTZ: You would, right?

REEVES: Yeah, absolutely.

SCHWARTZ: He’s amazing. He is fearless!

REEVES: Or dumb.

SCHWARTZ: Right, either one. But you lead with the idea of finding joy…

REEVES: Yes.

SCHWARTZ: …instead of being afraid of the outcome.

Image via Paramount Pictures

I did a set visit on something in–

REEVES: Anyway.

This is what he does!

SCHWARTZ: Did you like the movie?

Oh, it’s the best one yet.

SCHWARTZ: Oh, really? We got that on camera? That’ll be the pull quote?

100%. But the reason it’s the best one yet is because the first two movies, Jeff is figuring out what you can do with the VFX and everything else. This one has more emotion, and it’s bigger. Fans of the movies are going to love the action.

This Movie Opened Ben Schwartz’s Eyes to Hollywood Magic
Image via Universal Pictures

If you could be an extra in any movie or TV show going back all the way to the beginning of cinema, what would you have loved to have been a stand-in on?

SCHWARTZ: I have an immediate answer. Isn’t that crazy?

REEVES: It is.

SCHWARTZ: Two came to mind immediately. The Larry Sanders Show. Have you ever seen that show?

REEVES: I have.

SCHWARTZ: The Larry Sanders Show, I’d love to be a part of it. Then, I would be an extra in Back to the Future. Just in any scene in Back to the Future. That is the movie that made my eyes open to film and be like, “Oh my God, this can happen?” And made me fall in love with movies. So, those are the two ones.

REEVES: I don’t have one.

SCHWARTZ: You said you wished you could play the cat in The Godfather, right?

REEVES: No.

SCHWARTZ: No, okay. [Laughs]

Keanu Reeves Has Been Part of Sonic’s World From the Beginning
“He delivers on it.”

In the first Sonic movie, you voice the line, “Keanu, you are a national treasure.” That’s exactly what you say.

SCHWARTZ: I wonder if I improvised that.

So, what the hell is it like having Keanu in this movie?

SCHWARTZ: You’re in the first movie, dude.

REEVES: Oh, yeah.

SCHWARTZ: To me, a dream come true. Also, if you’re a fan of these video games, Keanu’s name has been bandied about, “Maybe, if we ever introduced his character… If we could ever get Keanu in there….” So the idea, for me, that we got the number one person on our list that we wished so that the dream could come true is amazing. And the fact that he delivers on it, he cared about the role, and he came there doing research and really caring, and trying to elevate the film and look at it as a filmmaker and an actor and an artist. That was the most exciting part for me.

REEVES: It’s really cool.

When did you first hear that line?

REEVES: I guess it must have just gone past me because I’ve seen the first one.

SCHWARTZ: Because everybody’s saying your name all the time.

REEVES: No, no, no, no, no.

“Whoa:” Ben Schwartz’s Tribute to Keanu Reeves
“There’s a cornucopia of ‘whoa’s.'”
Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

REEVES: Did you get to improv any lines?

SCHWARTZ: Thank you so much, great question. I got to improv quite a few lines. I can, as an improviser, take both of your ideas and say one of the lines I improvised was, “Whoa,” a Bill and Ted… Well, I don’t know if it was a Neo “whoa” or a Bill and Ted. There’s “whoa’s” everywhere.

REEVES: There’s a cornucopia of “Whoa’s.”

SCHWARTZ: “There’s a cornucopia of ‘Whoa’s’!” [Laughs] But I tried to put a couple “whoa’s” in, and I think one or two have made them. So, there’s been a couple of Keanu references before Keanu appears.

REEVES: Wait, those aren’t me. That’s a character!

SCHWARTZ: No, I did it the way you say, “Whoa.”

REEVES: Oh, you did?

Image via Paramount Pictures

SCHWARTZ: When he’s not in character, do you know how Keanu says, “Whoa?” I’ll give it to you right now, and then it’ll be over. I’ll do it right now. This is not him as…

REEVES: A character.

SCHWARTZ: It’s not a character. This is him as a Canadian treasure. So just say anything to me, and I’ll say, “Whoa.”

I can’t believe that new X-Men movie.

SCHWARTZ: “Whooaaa-ho-ho-ho-hoohhh!” That’s Keanu Reeves.

REEVES: You nailed it.

Sonic 3 races into theaters on December 20.

Your changes have been saved Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails reunite against a powerful new adversary, Shadow, a mysterious villain with powers unlike anything they have faced before. With their abilities outmatched, Team Sonic must seek out an unlikely alliance.Runtime 109 Minutes Writers Pat Casey , Josh Miller , John Whittington Distributor(s) Paramount Pictures

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