HBO Max is adding another live-action DC series to its upcoming slate. According to Variety, the series will serve as an origin story for the Jackson Hyde version of Aqualad.

Variety reports that the series is specifically based on the 2020 graphic novel You Brought Me the Ocean, from writer Alex Sanchez and artist Julie Maroh. That book casts Jackson "Jake" Hyde as a land-locked teenager living in New Mexico coming to terms with his father's death, his sexuality and his strange fascination with the ocean. The book also introduces Jake's boyfriend, swim team captain Kenny Liu.

No writers or actors have been announced for the series yet. It's also unclear whether the series is connected to the DCEU and James Wan's Aquaman movies. However, Variety reports that Charlize Theron will executive produce the series alongside A.J. Dix, Beth Kono, and Andrew Haas of Denver & Delilah Films.

The Jackson Hyde Aqualad originally debuted in both comic book and animated forms in 2010. He was created by Brandon Vietti, Greg Weisman and Phil Bourassa for the animated series Young Justice (where he's known by his Atlantean name Kaldur'ahm). Similar to the Barbara Gordon version of Batgirl, DC Comics introduced its version of the new Aqualad a few months ahead of the show's debut, with Jackson making his first appearance in Brightest Day #4.

This series will mark the first time Jackson Hyde has appeared in a live-action DC project. Previously, Drew Van Acker played the Garth version of Aqualad in an episode of Titans: Season 2.

HBO Max recently wrapped up the fourth season of Young Justice. While a Season 5 has yet to be confirmed, DC Comics will publish a digital-first series called Young Justice: Targets set after the Season 4 finale.

As for Aquaman himself, Jason Momoa will reprise the role in the upcoming Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Unfortunately, that sequel was one of several DC movies delayed by Warner Bros, with the release date shifting to March 2023. Be sure to brush up on every DC movie and series currently in development.

Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

HBO Max is adding another live-action DC series to its upcoming slate. According to Variety, the series will serve as an origin story for the Jackson Hyde version of Aqualad.

Variety reports that the series is specifically based on the 2020 graphic novel You Brought Me the Ocean, from writer Alex Sanchez and artist Julie Maroh. That book casts Jackson "Jake" Hyde as a land-locked teenager living in New Mexico coming to terms with his father's death, his sexuality and his strange fascination with the ocean. The book also introduces Jake's boyfriend, swim team captain Kenny Liu.

No writers or actors have been announced for the series yet. It's also unclear whether the series is connected to the DCEU and James Wan's Aquaman movies. However, Variety reports that Charlize Theron will executive produce the series alongside A.J. Dix, Beth Kono, and Andrew Haas of Denver & Delilah Films.

The Jackson Hyde Aqualad originally debuted in both comic book and animated forms in 2010. He was created by Brandon Vietti, Greg Weisman and Phil Bourassa for the animated series Young Justice (where he's known by his Atlantean name Kaldur'ahm). Similar to the Barbara Gordon version of Batgirl, DC Comics introduced its version of the new Aqualad a few months ahead of the show's debut, with Jackson making his first appearance in Brightest Day #4.

This series will mark the first time Jackson Hyde has appeared in a live-action DC project. Previously, Drew Van Acker played the Garth version of Aqualad in an episode of Titans: Season 2.

HBO Max recently wrapped up the fourth season of Young Justice. While a Season 5 has yet to be confirmed, DC Comics will publish a digital-first series called Young Justice: Targets set after the Season 4 finale.

As for Aquaman himself, Jason Momoa will reprise the role in the upcoming Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Unfortunately, that sequel was one of several DC movies delayed by Warner Bros, with the release date shifting to March 2023. Be sure to brush up on every DC movie and series currently in development.

Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

The Board of Governors for the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences has announced that Will Smith will be banned from all Academy events, including the Oscars, for 10 years.

Per Variety, the board announced plans to review Smith after the actor slapped Chris Rock on stage during this year’s Academy Awards. It appears that following this review the board has decided upon its response to the slap.

“The 94th Oscars were meant to be a celebration of the many individuals in our community who did incredible work this past year; however, those moments were overshadowed by the unacceptable and harmful behavior we saw Mr. Smith exhibit on stage,” the Academy said in a statement.

The Board has decided, for a period of 10 years from April 8, 2022, Mr. Smith shall not be permitted to attend any Academy events or programs, in person or virtually, including but not limited to the Academy Awards.”

The Academy thanked Chris Rock for “maintaining his composure under extraordinary circumstances,” and says that it hopes “this can begin a time of healing and restoration for all involved and impacted.”

In a short statement, Smith says he accepts and respects the Academy's decision.

Seven word statement from Will Smith reacting to his ten-year ban from Academy events: "I accept and respect the Academy's decision."

— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) April 8, 2022

The Academy did not announce plans to strip Smith of his Oscar for Best Actor despite calls to do so, and it’s unlikely the board has that authority. Convicted criminals like Harvey Weinstein and Roman Polanski still have their Oscars even after being expelled from the Academy.

Smith walked up to Chris Rock and slapped him while he was on stage, live, at this year's Oscars following a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith. There was immediate confusion over the moment and Oscar producers wondered if it was a bit. Claims that the Academy asked Smith to leave immediately after the incident have been disputed, but the board did announce formal disciplinary proceedings on March 30.

While unable to attend events and awards, Smith is not barred from being nominated or winning awards during his ban. Smith also resigned from the Academy following the incident. Several Will Smith projects in development, including Bad Boys 4, have also been put on hold.

Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd.

(Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images)

The Board of Governors for the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences has announced that Will Smith will be banned from all Academy events, including the Oscars, for 10 years.

Per Variety, the board announced plans to review Smith after the actor slapped Chris Rock on stage during this year’s Academy Awards. It appears that following this review the board has decided upon its response to the slap.

“The 94th Oscars were meant to be a celebration of the many individuals in our community who did incredible work this past year; however, those moments were overshadowed by the unacceptable and harmful behavior we saw Mr. Smith exhibit on stage,” the Academy said in a statement.

The Board has decided, for a period of 10 years from April 8, 2022, Mr. Smith shall not be permitted to attend any Academy events or programs, in person or virtually, including but not limited to the Academy Awards.”

The Academy thanked Chris Rock for “maintaining his composure under extraordinary circumstances,” and says that it hopes “this can begin a time of healing and restoration for all involved and impacted.”

In a short statement, Smith says he accepts and respects the Academy's decision.

Seven word statement from Will Smith reacting to his ten-year ban from Academy events: "I accept and respect the Academy's decision."

— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) April 8, 2022

The Academy did not announce plans to strip Smith of his Oscar for Best Actor despite calls to do so, and it’s unlikely the board has that authority. Convicted criminals like Harvey Weinstein and Roman Polanski still have their Oscars even after being expelled from the Academy.

Smith walked up to Chris Rock and slapped him while he was on stage, live, at this year's Oscars following a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith. There was immediate confusion over the moment and Oscar producers wondered if it was a bit. Claims that the Academy asked Smith to leave immediately after the incident have been disputed, but the board did announce formal disciplinary proceedings on March 30.

While unable to attend events and awards, Smith is not barred from being nominated or winning awards during his ban. Smith also resigned from the Academy following the incident. Several Will Smith projects in development, including Bad Boys 4, have also been put on hold.

Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd.

(Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images)

The man with no plan, Xûr, is now live in Destiny 2 for the weekend until next week's reset. If you're looking to get your some shiny new Exotic armor or weapons for your Guardian, look no further.

Each week, Xûr has a random assortment of Exotic armor, one for each Guardian class, as well as a random Exotic Weapon and an Exotic Engram available for purchase. In addition to his Exotic wares, he's got a random collection of Legendary weapons and armor to deck out your Guardians.

We've rounded up all the info on Xûr for the week including where to find Xûr, which Exotic weapons and armor are available, as well as which Legendary weapons you should pick up, either for PvE or PvP.

Where Is Xûr Today?

Xûr can be found at Winding Cove in the EDZ on April 8 through April 12. To reach him, travel to the landing point at Winding Cove. When you arrive, make for the rock cliffs at the far end of the cove and look for a cave winding up to a platform next to some Fallen. There you'll find the freakish salesman we all adore.

What's Xûr Selling Today?

Great news, everyone! Bungie fixed Xûr's issues and he's once more selling some decent rolls for armor! Praise be! Xûr's got some good weapons to use in The Witch Queen's endgame content. Check it out!

Exotic Engram

Crimson - Exotic Hand Cannon

Aeon Swift - Exotic Hunter Gauntlets

• 3 Mobility
• 7 Resilience
• 20 Recovery
• 6 Discipline
• 17 Intellect
• 10 Strength
• Total: 63

Ursa Furiosa - Exotic Titan Gauntlets

• 25 Mobility
• 8 Resilience
• 2 Recovery
• 2 Discipline
• 6 Intellect
• 23 Strength
• Total: 66

Sunbracers - Exotic Warlock Gauntlets

• 8 Mobility
• 21 Resilience
• 3 Recovery
• 8 Discipline
• 9 Intellect
• 12 Strength
• Total: 61

The highlight here are the Ursa Furiosa roll, which has the highest stats of the bunch, although it's worth mentioning that a Strength/Mobility build on a Titan has gotta be a very specific use case. Still, this Exotic is invaluable for Titans hoping to do Grandmaster Nightfall Strikes. The Hunters' Aeon Swift also has high stats, but that Exotic isn't great, in this Guardian's humble opinion.

Exotic Weapons

Hawkmoon - Exotic Hand Cannon

• Paracausal Shot
• Chambered Compensator
• Alloy Magazine
• Quickdraw
• Heavy Grip

Dead Man's Tale - Exotic Scout Rifle

• Cranial Spike
• Hammer-Forged Rifling
• Armor-Piercing Rounds
• Killing Wind
• Fitted Stock

Hawkmoon and Dead Man's Tale are both great weapons, but his week's roll for Hawkmoon is especially spicy for PvP players as the Quickdraw perk is a perfect pairing for this PvP-centric hand cannon.

Legendary Weapons

Seventh Seraph Saw - Machine Gun

• Chambered Compensator/Full Bore
• Extended Mag/Armor-Piercing Rounds
• Grave Robber
• Mulligan
• Reload Speed Masterwork

Dire Promise - Hand Cannon

• Fastdraw HCS/Steadyhand HCS
• Alloy Magazine/High-Caliber Rounds
• Snapshot Sights
• Osmosis
• Stability Masterwork

Widow's Bite - Sniper Rifle

• Arrowhead Brake/Polygonal Rifling
• Tactical Mag/Flared Magwell
• Pulse Monitor
• Demolitionist
• Range Masterwork

Imperial Needle - Combat Bow

• Flexible String/High Tension String
• Carbon Arrow Shaft/Natural Fletching
• Killing Wind
• Opening Shot
• Charge Time/Draw Time Masterwork

Frozen Orbit - Sniper Rifle

• Hammer-Forged Rifling/Smallbore
• Accurized Rounds/Flared Magwell
• Outlaw
• Vorpal Weapon
• Range Masterwork

Ignition Code - Grenade Launcher

• Volatile Launch/Countermass
• High-velocity Rounds/Implosion Rounds
• Field Prep
• Demolitionist
• Reload Speed Masterwork

Wolftone Draw - Combat Bow

• Elastic String/High Tension String
• Helical Fletching/Natural Fletching
• Sneak Bow
• Harmony
• Charge Time/Draw Time Masterwork

A few nice rolls this week with Imperial Needle being the headliner, with a God roll available on a weapon that's fairly hard to obtain through other means. The draw time is insane and Killing Wind + Opening Shot make a great PvP pairing.

Warlock Legendary Armor

For Warlocks, Xûr is selling the Anti-Extinction set which includes:

Anti-Extinction Gauntlets

• 9 Mobility
• 6 Resilience
• 15 Recovery
• 2 Discipline
• 19 Intellect
• 9 Strength
• Total: 60

Anti-Extinction Chest Armor

• 6 Mobility
• 2 Resilience
• 25 Recovery
• 15 Discipline
• 12 Intellect
• 2 Strength
• Total: 62

Anti-Extinction Helmet

• 12 Mobility
• 2 Resilience
• 12 Recovery
• 2 Discipline
• 13 Intellect
• 14 Strength
• Total: 55

Anti-Extinction Leg Armor

• 6 Mobility
• 14 Resilience
• 9 Recovery
• 2 Discipline
• 12 Intellect
• 12 Strength
• Total: 55

Stella Incognita Bond

This star of the show this week for Warlocks is the Chest Armor, which absolutely slays with some beautiful stat rolls and a focus in the all-important Recovery stat (especially for you squishy Warlocks out there). Just remember to put a transmog on that eyesore.

Titan Legendary Armor

For Titans, Xûr is selling the Anti-Extinction set which includes:

Anti-Extinction Gauntlets

• 2 Mobility
• 15 Resilience
• 14 Recovery
• 2 Discipline
• 19 Intellect
• 9 Strength
• Total: 61

Anti-Extinction Chest Armor

• 10 Mobility
• 2 Resilience
• 21 Recovery
• 17 Discipline
• 7 Intellect
• 6 Strength
• Total: 63

Anti-Extinction Helmet

• 2 Mobility
• 2 Resilience
• 24 Recovery
• 2 Discipline
• 22 Intellect
• 6 Strength
• Total: 58

Anti-Extinction Leg Armor

• 6 Mobility
• 26 Resilience
• 2 Recovery
• 6 Discipline
• 15 Intellect
• 10 Strength
• Total: 65

Stella Incognita Mark

My fellow Titans will be feasting this week as we've got several God-tier items, from the absolutely delightful and Resilience-focused boots to the excellent Rscovery-focused gauntlets. If one of these fits with your current #BuildGoals then scoop them up while they're hot!

Hunter Legendary Armor

For Hunters, Xûr is selling the Anti-Extinction set which includes:

Anti-Extinction Gauntlets

• 14 Mobility
• 9 Resilience
• 9 Recovery
• 9 Discipline
• 13 Intellect
• 9 Strength
• Total: 63

Anti-Extinction Chest Armor

• 14 Mobility
• 9 Resilience
• 8 Recovery
• 17 Discipline
• 6 Intellect
• 9 Strength
• Total: 63

Anti-Extinction Helmet

• 10 Mobility
• 2 Resilience
• 10 Recovery
• 2 Discipline
• 2 Intellect
• 22 Strength
• Total: 48

Anti-Extinction Leg Armor

• 12 Mobility
• 2 Resilience
• 12 Recovery
• 9 Discipline
• 17 Intellect
• 2 Strength
• Total: 54

Stella Incognita Cloak

I'm a little less excited by the Hunter offerings this week, though the chest piece and gauntlets are pretty decent rolls. Everything is better than what we've been getting for the past couple of months regardless!

Woohoo! Xur is fixed and it feels good to have the ol' gun trader back!

That's a wrap on Xûr for this week, Guardians! Hope you're all enjoying your adventures in the Witch Queen's throne world. Did you vote for Team Mechs or Team Monsters this week? Hopefully Team Mech (right?)! For more on Destiny, check out some of the new weapons and gear you can find in The Witch Queen and read about how Sony's purchase of Bungie fits into its larger plans.

Travis Northup is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @TieGuyTravis and read his games coverage here.

The man with no plan, Xûr, is now live in Destiny 2 for the weekend until next week's reset. If you're looking to get your some shiny new Exotic armor or weapons for your Guardian, look no further.

Each week, Xûr has a random assortment of Exotic armor, one for each Guardian class, as well as a random Exotic Weapon and an Exotic Engram available for purchase. In addition to his Exotic wares, he's got a random collection of Legendary weapons and armor to deck out your Guardians.

We've rounded up all the info on Xûr for the week including where to find Xûr, which Exotic weapons and armor are available, as well as which Legendary weapons you should pick up, either for PvE or PvP.

Where Is Xûr Today?

Xûr can be found at Winding Cove in the EDZ on April 8 through April 12. To reach him, travel to the landing point at Winding Cove. When you arrive, make for the rock cliffs at the far end of the cove and look for a cave winding up to a platform next to some Fallen. There you'll find the freakish salesman we all adore.

What's Xûr Selling Today?

Great news, everyone! Bungie fixed Xûr's issues and he's once more selling some decent rolls for armor! Praise be! Xûr's got some good weapons to use in The Witch Queen's endgame content. Check it out!

Exotic Engram

Crimson - Exotic Hand Cannon

Aeon Swift - Exotic Hunter Gauntlets

• 3 Mobility
• 7 Resilience
• 20 Recovery
• 6 Discipline
• 17 Intellect
• 10 Strength
• Total: 63

Ursa Furiosa - Exotic Titan Gauntlets

• 25 Mobility
• 8 Resilience
• 2 Recovery
• 2 Discipline
• 6 Intellect
• 23 Strength
• Total: 66

Sunbracers - Exotic Warlock Gauntlets

• 8 Mobility
• 21 Resilience
• 3 Recovery
• 8 Discipline
• 9 Intellect
• 12 Strength
• Total: 61

The highlight here are the Ursa Furiosa roll, which has the highest stats of the bunch, although it's worth mentioning that a Strength/Mobility build on a Titan has gotta be a very specific use case. Still, this Exotic is invaluable for Titans hoping to do Grandmaster Nightfall Strikes. The Hunters' Aeon Swift also has high stats, but that Exotic isn't great, in this Guardian's humble opinion.

Exotic Weapons

Hawkmoon - Exotic Hand Cannon

• Paracausal Shot
• Chambered Compensator
• Alloy Magazine
• Quickdraw
• Heavy Grip

Dead Man's Tale - Exotic Scout Rifle

• Cranial Spike
• Hammer-Forged Rifling
• Armor-Piercing Rounds
• Killing Wind
• Fitted Stock

Hawkmoon and Dead Man's Tale are both great weapons, but his week's roll for Hawkmoon is especially spicy for PvP players as the Quickdraw perk is a perfect pairing for this PvP-centric hand cannon.

Legendary Weapons

Seventh Seraph Saw - Machine Gun

• Chambered Compensator/Full Bore
• Extended Mag/Armor-Piercing Rounds
• Grave Robber
• Mulligan
• Reload Speed Masterwork

Dire Promise - Hand Cannon

• Fastdraw HCS/Steadyhand HCS
• Alloy Magazine/High-Caliber Rounds
• Snapshot Sights
• Osmosis
• Stability Masterwork

Widow's Bite - Sniper Rifle

• Arrowhead Brake/Polygonal Rifling
• Tactical Mag/Flared Magwell
• Pulse Monitor
• Demolitionist
• Range Masterwork

Imperial Needle - Combat Bow

• Flexible String/High Tension String
• Carbon Arrow Shaft/Natural Fletching
• Killing Wind
• Opening Shot
• Charge Time/Draw Time Masterwork

Frozen Orbit - Sniper Rifle

• Hammer-Forged Rifling/Smallbore
• Accurized Rounds/Flared Magwell
• Outlaw
• Vorpal Weapon
• Range Masterwork

Ignition Code - Grenade Launcher

• Volatile Launch/Countermass
• High-velocity Rounds/Implosion Rounds
• Field Prep
• Demolitionist
• Reload Speed Masterwork

Wolftone Draw - Combat Bow

• Elastic String/High Tension String
• Helical Fletching/Natural Fletching
• Sneak Bow
• Harmony
• Charge Time/Draw Time Masterwork

A few nice rolls this week with Imperial Needle being the headliner, with a God roll available on a weapon that's fairly hard to obtain through other means. The draw time is insane and Killing Wind + Opening Shot make a great PvP pairing.

Warlock Legendary Armor

For Warlocks, Xûr is selling the Anti-Extinction set which includes:

Anti-Extinction Gauntlets

• 9 Mobility
• 6 Resilience
• 15 Recovery
• 2 Discipline
• 19 Intellect
• 9 Strength
• Total: 60

Anti-Extinction Chest Armor

• 6 Mobility
• 2 Resilience
• 25 Recovery
• 15 Discipline
• 12 Intellect
• 2 Strength
• Total: 62

Anti-Extinction Helmet

• 12 Mobility
• 2 Resilience
• 12 Recovery
• 2 Discipline
• 13 Intellect
• 14 Strength
• Total: 55

Anti-Extinction Leg Armor

• 6 Mobility
• 14 Resilience
• 9 Recovery
• 2 Discipline
• 12 Intellect
• 12 Strength
• Total: 55

Stella Incognita Bond

This star of the show this week for Warlocks is the Chest Armor, which absolutely slays with some beautiful stat rolls and a focus in the all-important Recovery stat (especially for you squishy Warlocks out there). Just remember to put a transmog on that eyesore.

Titan Legendary Armor

For Titans, Xûr is selling the Anti-Extinction set which includes:

Anti-Extinction Gauntlets

• 2 Mobility
• 15 Resilience
• 14 Recovery
• 2 Discipline
• 19 Intellect
• 9 Strength
• Total: 61

Anti-Extinction Chest Armor

• 10 Mobility
• 2 Resilience
• 21 Recovery
• 17 Discipline
• 7 Intellect
• 6 Strength
• Total: 63

Anti-Extinction Helmet

• 2 Mobility
• 2 Resilience
• 24 Recovery
• 2 Discipline
• 22 Intellect
• 6 Strength
• Total: 58

Anti-Extinction Leg Armor

• 6 Mobility
• 26 Resilience
• 2 Recovery
• 6 Discipline
• 15 Intellect
• 10 Strength
• Total: 65

Stella Incognita Mark

My fellow Titans will be feasting this week as we've got several God-tier items, from the absolutely delightful and Resilience-focused boots to the excellent Rscovery-focused gauntlets. If one of these fits with your current #BuildGoals then scoop them up while they're hot!

Hunter Legendary Armor

For Hunters, Xûr is selling the Anti-Extinction set which includes:

Anti-Extinction Gauntlets

• 14 Mobility
• 9 Resilience
• 9 Recovery
• 9 Discipline
• 13 Intellect
• 9 Strength
• Total: 63

Anti-Extinction Chest Armor

• 14 Mobility
• 9 Resilience
• 8 Recovery
• 17 Discipline
• 6 Intellect
• 9 Strength
• Total: 63

Anti-Extinction Helmet

• 10 Mobility
• 2 Resilience
• 10 Recovery
• 2 Discipline
• 2 Intellect
• 22 Strength
• Total: 48

Anti-Extinction Leg Armor

• 12 Mobility
• 2 Resilience
• 12 Recovery
• 9 Discipline
• 17 Intellect
• 2 Strength
• Total: 54

Stella Incognita Cloak

I'm a little less excited by the Hunter offerings this week, though the chest piece and gauntlets are pretty decent rolls. Everything is better than what we've been getting for the past couple of months regardless!

Woohoo! Xur is fixed and it feels good to have the ol' gun trader back!

That's a wrap on Xûr for this week, Guardians! Hope you're all enjoying your adventures in the Witch Queen's throne world. Did you vote for Team Mechs or Team Monsters this week? Hopefully Team Mech (right?)! For more on Destiny, check out some of the new weapons and gear you can find in The Witch Queen and read about how Sony's purchase of Bungie fits into its larger plans.

Travis Northup is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @TieGuyTravis and read his games coverage here.

Actor Idris Elba had a bit of trouble finding Knuckles’s voice for Sonic the Hedgehog 2: The Movie.

In an interview with the New York Times, Elba opened up about the process behind finding his voice for the beloved echidna, who takes on a villainous role in Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

"I actually wanted to try to play [Knuckles] with a squeaky voice,” Elba said. “I thought that might be funny. But they didn’t think that was funny and that idea got nixed immediately. But we did try different voices, cadences, accents. Knuckles isn’t a big talker, but when he does speak, he’s very blunt."

Elba, best known for his roles in The Wire and Luther, referred to himself as “one hundred percent” a gamer and discussed his excitement to star in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 in the interview. As Elba noted, he grew up with a Sega Genesis, so the Sonic franchise is right up his alley. He’s also excited to share the movie with his 7-year-old son, who hasn’t been able to watch much of Elba’s R-rated filmography.

In our review of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, we praised Elba's performance, writing, "He brings a certain gravitas to the role, but also gets some of the funniest lines in the movie as the hilariously self-serious echidna."

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is in theaters now, and this movie certainly isn’t the end for the acclaimed series. In line with Sega’s plans to form a Sonic Cinematic Universe, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is already in the works alongside a Knuckles-focused spin-off, both of which Elba (without his squeaky voice) will return for.

Amelia Zollner is a freelance writer at IGN.

Actor Idris Elba had a bit of trouble finding Knuckles’s voice for Sonic the Hedgehog 2: The Movie.

In an interview with the New York Times, Elba opened up about the process behind finding his voice for the beloved echidna, who takes on a villainous role in Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

"I actually wanted to try to play [Knuckles] with a squeaky voice,” Elba said. “I thought that might be funny. But they didn’t think that was funny and that idea got nixed immediately. But we did try different voices, cadences, accents. Knuckles isn’t a big talker, but when he does speak, he’s very blunt."

Elba, best known for his roles in The Wire and Luther, referred to himself as “one hundred percent” a gamer and discussed his excitement to star in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 in the interview. As Elba noted, he grew up with a Sega Genesis, so the Sonic franchise is right up his alley. He’s also excited to share the movie with his 7-year-old son, who hasn’t been able to watch much of Elba’s R-rated filmography.

In our review of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, we praised Elba's performance, writing, "He brings a certain gravitas to the role, but also gets some of the funniest lines in the movie as the hilariously self-serious echidna."

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is in theaters now, and this movie certainly isn’t the end for the acclaimed series. In line with Sega’s plans to form a Sonic Cinematic Universe, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is already in the works alongside a Knuckles-focused spin-off, both of which Elba (without his squeaky voice) will return for.

Amelia Zollner is a freelance writer at IGN.

Sonic movie director Jeff Fowler has said he would be interested in working on a Super Smash Bros. film adaptation but admits there would be a few legal hurdles to overcome.

In an interview with ComicBook.com, Fowler was asked if he would ever like to helm a big-screen adaptation of the Super Smash Bros. franchise, having just come off the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 movie, which he directed following the first installment in 2020. He indicated that he was open to the idea of a crossover, though there would be a few logistics to consider.

"Nothing would make me happier than to just throw all the characters into a battle royale and do a big Smash Bros. thing. That would probably require some work from the lawyers before that could happen," Fowler said, contemplating what it would involve. "Getting Mario and Sonic in the ring, I mean everyone would be kinda dying for that, right? That's just classic."

As the outlet notes, Sega owns all of the characters from the Sonic franchise, but Nintendo owns Super Smash Bros and many of its associated characters, so there would likely be quite a few legal permissions to check off in order to merge the two in one film. Mario is, however, making his way to theaters later this year in an animated film from Universal and Illumination.

Nintendo is also said to be exploring animation projects beyond Super Mario, and early reports suggest Seth Rogen might be getting his own Donkey Kong movie. The project is reportedly already in the works at Illumination — the same animation studio that is working on the Super Mario Bros. movie starring Chris Pratt as everyone's favourite Italian plumber.

Sega is also at work on several spin-offs and sequels for its burgeoning Sonic Cinematic Universe. It's already been revealed that a third Sonic the Hedgehog movie is in development, while a Knuckle spin-off is in the works for Paramount Plus, with Idris Elba returning to voice the role of the red echidna following his first outing as the character in Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is now in theaters with a wide April 8 release date, and the film will apparently be "chock full" of Sonic 2 game references as the sequel is expected to lean more into Sega's source material than the first Sonic movie installment, which IGN rated a 7 out of 10, calling it "a fast-paced joyride that'll ring in entertainment for both fans and children."

Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.

Sonic movie director Jeff Fowler has said he would be interested in working on a Super Smash Bros. film adaptation but admits there would be a few legal hurdles to overcome.

In an interview with ComicBook.com, Fowler was asked if he would ever like to helm a big-screen adaptation of the Super Smash Bros. franchise, having just come off the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 movie, which he directed following the first installment in 2020. He indicated that he was open to the idea of a crossover, though there would be a few logistics to consider.

"Nothing would make me happier than to just throw all the characters into a battle royale and do a big Smash Bros. thing. That would probably require some work from the lawyers before that could happen," Fowler said, contemplating what it would involve. "Getting Mario and Sonic in the ring, I mean everyone would be kinda dying for that, right? That's just classic."

As the outlet notes, Sega owns all of the characters from the Sonic franchise, but Nintendo owns Super Smash Bros and many of its associated characters, so there would likely be quite a few legal permissions to check off in order to merge the two in one film. Mario is, however, making his way to theaters later this year in an animated film from Universal and Illumination.

Nintendo is also said to be exploring animation projects beyond Super Mario, and early reports suggest Seth Rogen might be getting his own Donkey Kong movie. The project is reportedly already in the works at Illumination — the same animation studio that is working on the Super Mario Bros. movie starring Chris Pratt as everyone's favourite Italian plumber.

Sega is also at work on several spin-offs and sequels for its burgeoning Sonic Cinematic Universe. It's already been revealed that a third Sonic the Hedgehog movie is in development, while a Knuckle spin-off is in the works for Paramount Plus, with Idris Elba returning to voice the role of the red echidna following his first outing as the character in Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is now in theaters with a wide April 8 release date, and the film will apparently be "chock full" of Sonic 2 game references as the sequel is expected to lean more into Sega's source material than the first Sonic movie installment, which IGN rated a 7 out of 10, calling it "a fast-paced joyride that'll ring in entertainment for both fans and children."

Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.