KZ: HI Ben! Can you share a Sonic The Hedgehog game Easter egg to look out for in the new film?

B: There are a lot in the trailer you might notice, I don’t want to spoil the movie but there are a lot in the film. In the trailer you see the Air Shoes and Dark Rider obviously, we also have some still frames that are references and a shot of the motorcycle that is based on a famous moment from Akira too. From the trailer people also know that Gerald Robotnik is in it, and there is a lot of inspiration from the games, which I think people will really appreciate.

KZ: You have added references unrelated to the world of Sonic while voicing him – is there anything you managed to reference in the third film that wasn’t in the script?

B: In this movie, for two movies now, 'hachi machi' is a line from a cartoon show when I was a kid. Every year, because I get to improvise when I'm recording, I put a couple of 'hachi machis' in there, and every year it doesn't make the cut. One year I got a Dewey Duck one in [a character also voiced by Ben in DuckTales]. I gotta wait for the final cut to see what came in, so I don't want to promise anything but I tried. Every time we record, I really try to get a weird reference of something in my career.

KZ: The Sonic The Hedgehog movies are already total classics that will stick with K-Zoners forever! What’s the earliest show, movie, or game you experienced that still sticks with you?

B: Well, my first videogame was enormous for me. I played a lot of games on my computer. There was Prince of Persia, different Tandy games, even Zork (a text adventure game). When I saw Back to the Future, I think my life changed. I was like, 'Oh, this is what movies are. This is incredible.' Another big one was Jurassic Park, when I was a bit older. I went to the movie theatre and it felt like I was on a theme park ride, I felt so immersed in the movie. I went back to the theatre over and over again to see it. Also Batman: The Animated Series was really big because I finally had a touchstone that I could talk about with my friends. Looney Tunes is one of the earliest memories I have. Cartoons and video games really shaped how my imagination functions, even today. If you think about the comedic timing of a Warner Brothers cartoon or Looney Tunes cartoon, it sticks with you. I used to watch The Muppets a lot and Sesame Street, and last year I got to do a scene with Animal from The Muppets! Since I watched so much Muppets as a kid, I knew the cadence and how to set this character up, because I've seen him so many times.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 hits cinemas December 26!

To read the main interview with Ben Schwartz, grab the 'Big Screen Smash' issue of K-Zone, on sale now!