A tale as old as time is the rivalry between SEGA and Nintendo, two gaming publishers who practically owned the video game market, going against each other. While the two have reconciled, it seems it may be reinvigorated in a whole new way come 2027: the box office. Both companies have films of their beloved IPs, SEGA with Sonic and Nintendo with The Legend of Zelda, coming out within a week of each other. Sonic the Hedgehog 4 is slated for release on March 19th, 2027 and the live-action The Legend of Zelda, announced today, will hit theaters on March 26th, 2027.
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While it is a ways away, how will this showdown go down and who may come out on top?
Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Is Already One Step Ahead
It’s important to note that Sonic the Hedgehog 4 does have quite the advantage over The Legend of Zelda, as the series already has three films and a show. An already-established audience does help the series in the long run (Sonic pun intended) by ensuring people are seeing it and enjoying it. Plus, given the huge success of Sonic the Hedgehog 3, gaining $462 million in the box office and edging out Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King on Christmas week, chances are those numbers will increase come the next installment. Overall, the series has surpassed one billion dollars, so Sonic the Hedgehog 4 has a lot riding on it, especially with fan-favorite characters showing up in the post-credits scene.
Another factor is that, even without knowing exactly what Sonic the Hedgehog 4 is about, audiences can wager expectations in terms of story and style. As has been the case in the past, the Sonic films always focus on Sonic and friends teaming up to save the world, usually against Jim Carrey’s Dr. Robotnik. The family-friendly nature of the films does lend itself well to a wide range of movie-goers, which The Legend of Zelda hasn’t revealed what genre or style it’s going for and whether it’s for all ages or more for mature audiences.
The Legend of Zelda Has Nintendo’s Legacy Behind It
Despite the track record Sonic the Hedgehog has, Nintendo still beat them with one single film: The Super Mario Bros. Movie. The animated adaptation accrued 1.3 billion at the box office, making it the fifth-highest grossing animated film of all time. Nintendo likes to play it close to their chest when it comes to dealing out their IPs for other media, so picking Universal to not only do a film but be live-action means that they know there’s something good there. Mario started that trend, so who’s to say The Legend of Zelda isn’t going to one-up it?
The Legend of Zelda, unlike Sonic, has a lot of diverse settings, stories, and characters to pull from. A majority of them are critically acclaimed, like Breath of the Wild, Ocarina of Time, and even Twilight Princess, so you can’t really go wrong if you base it on any of them. Even if director Wes Ball (Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes) decides to make a brand-new story, you can mix and match a lot of different elements that have proven, time and time again, that they work and that people enjoy.
Who Will Win: Sonic the Hedgehog 4 or The Legend of Zelda?
Even with The Legend of Zelda having a lot behind it, Sonic the Hedgehog 4 is the safest bet as to who will win the box office between the two. The fact that audiences will no doubt see the fourth film and can wager what it will be about does help a lot. It’s also an easier bet for general audiences, as it has proven to cater to all ages instead of just one.
However, The Legend of Zelda name alone, much like Mario, is big enough that many will flock to the theaters regardless of prior knowledge about the film or series. To add to that, Sonic releasing one week prior to The Legend of Zelda does give it a leg up money-wise. Still, it’s too early to say, but hopefully both films will live up to the hype and expectations of fans, regardless of how they fare, money-wise. Either way, it’s a great celebration of gaming adaptations, which have come a long way.
Which one do you think will take the box office crown? Are you more of a Sonic fan or Zelda fan? Let us know in the comments below! For all things Sonic, Zelda, and beyond, keep it here at ComicBook.
