SEGA almost canceled the Sonic franchise before the first movie ended up being a hit
, by Thibaut
A true video game icon could have disappeared. Takashi Iizuka, the director of Sonic Team, recently stated that the famous blue hedgehog could have been shelved by SEGA a few years ago.
In an interview with One More Game, Iizuka looked back on the saga’s 35-year history. It has had its ups and many downs, to the point where its fate could have been sealed.
"There had been good times, and there had been bad times… during the worst times, I was told by the higher-ups that we should cancel the entire franchise. I had to fight within the organization to keep the franchise as long as possible."
Sonic owes its survival solely to the first live-action feature film, which hit theaters in February 2020. That film alone is said to have saved the franchise thanks to the $320 million it generated at the global box office.
"The biggest milestone for me was the first movie… that had been a great hit and definitely changed the course of this franchise."
Finally, SEGA had even planned to remove Shadow the Hedgehog from the series, but the third movie ended up saving him as well, as the character’s popularity skyrocketed as a result. Keep in mind that a fourth Sonic feature film is set to be released in 2027.
Source: onemoregame.ph