A producer from Sega details how the Sonic the Hedgehog movies came to be, along with why the company decided to pursue adaptations of the video games after so long. The 2020 release of the first film saw an immense amount of success despite the negative response it first received. 2022 then saw the release of a follow-up film, bringing in fan-favorite characters like Tails and Knuckles the Echidna.
With the films being such a huge success, some might wonder why it took so long for an iconic video game IP like Sonic the Hedgehog to get its own theatrical film. Fortunately, Sega Sammy senior executive officer Toru Nakahara explains how and why it did.
In a recent interview with Pia, Nakahara states that Sonic had been a somewhat popular character in Japan, but not quite to the same level as in the Americas or Europe. He states that the elements that Sonic's personality exudes, him being a wise-cracking but good-hearted hero were all things he believed were positively viewed traits in the Western side of the world. He notes that these character traits aren't something that typically would make him beloved in Japan, but despite this, his worldwide appeal grew further as the games went on.
Nakahara continues, noting how the film first came to be due to the recent popularity of Sonic Mania's release in 2017. At the same time, he noted that Sonic'd relevance would be more with parents and adults who grew up with the franchise, with a newer generation of children possibly not knowing who the character is or why he is so popular. This presented a great opportunity for the blue blur to be re-introduced to a new set of fans using a brand-new theatrical film.
With this in mind, Nakahara believed it was worth investing in a big Sonic the Hedgehog movie, introducing the character to not only a new generation of gamers but also making him well-known in the movie industry. He noted that there were definitely some concerns about the film that were raised during development. Most notably, the famous "video game movie curse" is frequently brought up, due to how many movie adaptations of video games tended to flop. Despite this, he felt it was a challenge that the company was looking forward to trying out.
Nakahara mentions that there was some friction between Sega and Paramount during production, though both companies eventually eased up with each other and came to an agreement about where to take it. With the third Sonic movie debuting in 2024, along with the release of Sonic Frontiers later this year, fans have a lot to look forward to regarding Sonic the Hedgehog's future.
Source: Pia (via Nintendo Everything)