With the release of the first trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog 2, fans have finally been properly introduced to the big-screen version of Mile “Tails” Prower. Sonic’s two-failed fox friend has officially arrived and the two will be getting into all sorts of trouble when the movie hits theaters on April 8.
One of the biggest surprises in recent weeks has been the news that Colleen O’Shaughnessey, who voices Tails in the video games, would be reprising her role in the film. Given that Sonic is voiced by Ben Schwartz and Knuckles, who will also debut in the new film, is voiced by Idris Elba, it seemed like someone knew could certainly be on the way.
That’s not the case, though. Speaking to GameSpot, director Jeff Fowler explained his very good reasoning for bringing O’Shaughnessey back for the character. “Hearing her voice come out of our movie version of Tails, I mean, it just felt like such an incredible fit,” he said. “I felt like the fans felt the same way, there was such overwhelming enthusiasm and support for that reveal.”
Of course, as Fowler explained, there’s also the fact that “Colleen knows this character inside and out. She’s an incredibly talented voice actor.”
While Tails will sound quite familiar in the film, the character will have a bit more depth than you might be used to. Both that character and Knuckles are easily entertaining and interesting to watch, but Fowler and his team wanted to make sure they actually meant something to the story being told.
“We’ve worked very hard on making sure that these characters have their own arcs, their own emotional trajectories, and just making sure it all works together,” he explained. “We’re not just bringing these characters in only because we know fans love them and because we love them, but because it makes sense for the story and it’s a way of moving things forward in a really great way.”
To that end, here’s hoping we learn even more about Sonic life before coming to earth and how Knuckles and Tails may tie into it.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is in theaters on April 8.
