There was a time when Sonic was almost no more. In a new interview, Sonic team head Takashi Iizuka spoke about how dire the situation was for the blue hedgehog, to the point where Sega almost cancelled the franchise altogether.
Speaking at Tokyo Game Show, Iizuka admitted that Sonic is “like my own son”, citing the fact that it’s actually older than his own children. That’s why it’s become so personal to the 56-year-old, who’s been credited on nearly all mainline Sonic games since the early 1990s.
But when the now-35-year-old franchise was on the chopping block, it took an unlikely source to show Sega there was still value.
Sonic Was Saved By The Big Screen
Iizuka said there have been both good and bad times with the franchise. However, at one point, it was so bad that Sega wanted to pull the plug.
“During the worst times, I was told by the higher-ups that we should cancel the entire franchise,” he said via One More Game. “I had to fight within the organization to keep the franchise as long as possible.”
With the franchise approaching 30 years in 2020, the first live-action Sonic the Hedgehog movie was released. After initial backlash to Sonic’s design—which was fixed before release—the movie became a commercial and critical success for Sega.
“The biggest milestone for me was the first movie,” Iizuka said. “That had been a great hit and definitely changed the course of this franchise.”
The first film grossed $320 million at the box office against a roughly $85-$90 million budget. The success not only spawned multiple sequels, including an upcoming fourth film in 2027, but also changed Sega’s plans for the Sonic series. Since then, there have been new games, new shows, and plans to release “some sort of media almost every year from here on out.”
What do you think of the Sonic films saving the franchise from cancellation at Sega? Let us know down in the comments and in the official Insider Gaming Discord.
In other news, read the original plans for a Fight Night reboot at EA Sports being canceled. And for even more Insider Gaming delivered directly to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter.
Mike has been covering the gaming industry since 2012, and has reported on some of the largest events in the industry while also working as an investigative reporter. Outside of…
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