Paramount’s Sonic the Hedgehog movies have been hugely successful over the last few years, but Sega was initially nervous about letting them happen. A lot of video game adaptations have failed to channel the heart of the source material, a fact that Sega was well aware of. In a new interview with Japanese outlet Pia (translated by Nintendo Everything), SEGA Sammy senior executive officer Toru Nakahara discussed the origins of the film, and why the company agreed to the collaboration with Paramount. At the end of the day, Sega believed a Sonic movie was the perfect opportunity to introduce the character to a younger audience.
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“We had talks about making a Sonic movie because of Sonic Mania in 2017.Despite Sonic not being initially overly popular in America, he seemedto have rapidly gained popularity. At the time, Sonic was in an oddsituation where parents were well aware of who he is, whereas childrenmay or may not know him,” Nakahara told Pia. “So it was easy to imagine that if a Sonic moviecame out, this would be a great opportunity for Sonic not only to beknown to many generations, but also to areas where Sonic may have neverbeen well known especially considering that movie promotion budget farexceeds that of a video game. I thought it was worth joining in toinvest in creating a ‘Hollywood blockbuster.’”
Sega made a name for itself in the early ’90s by taking great risks. When the company entered the console business, many predicted Sega was doomed to fail against Nintendo. However, the company forged its own path, highlighting its differences with Nintendo in a series of highly-successful commercials. According to Nakahama, the decision to make a Sonic the Hedgehog movie was born out of a similar drive.
“It reminded me of the SEGA spirit of ‘trying new things,’” said Nakahama.
When Sonic the Hedgehog debuted back in 2020, it proved massively successful at the box office, and a sequel was released earlier this year. A third Sonic the Hedgehog is currently in development, and a Knuckles the Echidna series has also been announced for Paramount+. Just as it did in the early ’90s, Sega’s willingness to try new things clearly paid off!
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