It’s happening! Sony Pictures have signed on to create a Sonic the Hedgehog movie. Written by Evan Susser, Van Robichaux, produced by Neal Moritz (21 Jump Street, Jack the Giant Slayer and much more) and animated by Marza Animation Planet (a division of SEGA Sammy), the Sonic feature is confirmed to be a CG/live action hybrid much like Sony’s “The Smurfs” franchise, and will star not just Sonic but other members of the the cast such as our very own Dr. Eggman. Apparently, this initial movie will be the first of a franchise of films which will release yearly. That’s right – a Sonic film every year.
No word yet on a release date, but executive producer and Marza CEO Masanao Maeda says the movie “…will bring a fresh take to Sonic, while still capturing everything that the fans love about him”. Check out the original article below:
Sony and producer Neal Moritz are bringing the best-selling Sega video game Sonic the Hedgehog to the big screen.
The studio is teaming with Marza Animation Planet, a CG animation film-production company based in Japan and a division of the Sega Sammy Group, to make a hybrid CG-animated/live-action feature.
Upright Citizens Brigade alums Evan Susser and Van Robichaux are writing the screenplay, which will follow the antics of Sonic, the world’s fastest hedgehog. The film will also feature some of the franchise’s favorite characters including the evil Dr. Eggman.
Sony-based Moritz (22 Jump Street) is producing through his Original Film banner alongside Marza’s Takeshi Ito and Mie Onishi. Toby Ascher is executive producing.
For more than two decades, the billion-dollar Sonic franchise has been one of the world’s biggest gaming phenomena, with more than 140 million games sold.
“There are limitless stories to tell with a character like Sonic the Hedgehog and a built-in international fan base,” Columbia Pictures president of production Hannah Minghella said. “Along with our wonderful creative partners at Marza, we’re looking to capture everything that generations of fans know and love about Sonic while also growing his audience wider than ever before.”
Added Marza CEO Masanao Maeda: “Sonic has had dozens of adventures on the console and the small screen, and we’re thrilled that he’s now coming to the big screen. Sony Pictures has had great success with hybrid animated and live-action features, and we’re confident that this collaboration will bring a fresh take to Sonic, while still capturing everything that the fans love about him.”
Sony’s hybrid animated/live-action Smurfs has spawned two films to date.Moritz is the producer behind the Fast & Furious franchise. He has a Goosebumps adaptation coming up for Sony on Aug. 7, 2015, starring Jack Black.
Minghella and Andrea Giannetti will oversee the Sonic project for the studio.
Are you looking forward to the Sonic the Hedgehog movie franchise? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below. We at TSS will keep you updated on any new developments, as always!
Sources: The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline
Congrats Sonic on making it to the big screen.. but Sony? really? after what happened with the Saturn?
You are not fucking serious?
Holy mother of Zeus, please say you’re kidding…
Really?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FopyRHHlt3M&feature=kp
Very, very happy about this. Glad its being produced by good teams, very interested to see how the live action hybrid works out, thrilled there will be more than one, absolutely can’t wait for more info.
There is so much that could go wrong here. Thank God for Marza, though. At least it will be a good looking movie.
For once, speculation is true!
I’m veery excited for this!
But it says “the first of a franchise of films which will release yearly” does this mean another Sonic canon besides Boom, The Games and comics? This will be a handful.
I’d also like to point out Sega’s new dedication to Sonic. They’re hyping about him a lot lately, and if I remember right, they’re stocks have been going up too. Glad to see the new fresh start for you Sega!
Sega did say Modern Sonic’s adventures will continue in addition to Sonic Boom. If you ask me it looks like SEGA is trying to make Boom a spinoff series appealing to younger fans (like the storybook games) it wouldn’t surprise me if the films tie in to Sonic’s next couple of game adventures
CG/live-action…..oh gosh…..*remembers the sonic fan film* and really a franchise? what happened to the days where you make one, see how well it does and then make a sequel.
Firstly, that was a fan film. Sony is working on this, so it will be of MUCH higher quality.
Lastly, it’s called “risk-taking.” Not every film is sequel worthy, so making multiple at once s a pretty decent idea.
Wow what a day E3 and now a movie? I’m super excited about this but only one thing that bothers me is cg/live..there is a lot of things that could go wrong but I’m not judging yet! I’m just glad finally something is real!
Okay, first of all, I’m super excited about this! That said, I have a few concerns that I hope get addressed.
1. A movie a year? The only way I can see this working is with a LOT of preparation beforehand, sort of like Lord of the Rings or what Disney is doing with Star Wars. I’m a little scared they are going to choose to leave out the “quality” part of the production triangle in favor of “speed”. Heh, the irony of saying Sonic would be better off not so fast.
2. Live action mixed with CG? Why do I get the suspicion we are going to get a live action Eggman? Given that 06 went realistic and everyone hated it, I hope they can get a really good actor if they go this route.
3. Can you say “cheap video game movie tie-in”? Of course they are going to make games for the movies, but with just a year between movies they are all likely to be rushed. The only way I can see a way around this would be for Sega and Sony to coordinate their efforts in the same way the Sonic Boom games are working with the show.
4. Speaking of which, who is going to make these tie-ins? If Sonic Team does, when are they going to have time to make stand alone games? Who would they outsource them to?
Fortunately, none of these hazards are insurmountable, so I have good hopes for this.
Yep, this is the final nail into the coffin of any potential good material for Sonic for the foreseeable future.
Well, if the dumb fans wouldn’t quit ripping them out, yes.
I’ve seen how the film industry works, and I doubt that they can, in their
current state, produce anything of quality. ( especially movies aimed at children… )
Whatever it is though, I can tell you that both Sonic, and the community deserve it, 100%. :T
Are you talking about Frozen? PLEASE tell me you’re talking about Frozen. That movie irritates me. If not, there really have been a lot of crap movies as of recently.
People said that 8 years ago and guess what, Sonic is still alive.
Oh my God. OH MY *GOD*. My inner movie nut is squee-ing (I’ve wanted this to happen since I was a kid!!!), but at the same time, part of me is thinking that this could either be really good, or a spectacular failure. Kind of a mixed bag right now.
Wait, I forgot to mention the live-action/CGI. I’m praying to GOD this doesn’t end up like The Smurfs or something.
hot damn 2014 is the year of sonic
Yup, this is an amazing year for Sonic and fans everywhere. I can see it already, it’ll be packed as hell in those theaters when it comes out, people’ll be wearing nothing but blue, and people applauding through-out the whole thing. Loving this year!
I just want Knuckles to be relevant, not a joke, and to punch the fuck out of something.
140 million copies sold? Last time I checked Sonic games were around 90 mil…
….Ok. Is SEGA dying or something? Are they in dire financial straights? Or are they that stupid?
Because SEGA is reaaaallly putting all their fucking Eggmen in the Sonic Basket! This is too much. Something is gonna give, and I’m betting it’s the million dollar animated clusterfuck that will probably tank at the box-office. Sony can’t make good animated movies (unless they where based on a Sony video game) and this smells of choosing a studio for economical reasons rather than track record.
They should have waited till Sonic Boom was popular…or at least profitable. Now this movie has to be good, or SEGA could be in trouble for poor investment.
I actually hope it tanks… it’ll make it easier to buy the IP.
And Marza’s doing the animation? Yes!
Color me optimistic. A little wary, but very optimistic. I hope it goes the route of Sonic OVA and includes some risque/under-the-radar humor. I’d love to see Sonic flip somebody off again.
So did I literally just hear The Smurfs, the Upright friggin’ Citizens Brigade and Fast and Furious all bandied about in the course of a single article? About an upcoming Sonic movie?
Because I swear that’s what I thought I heard and I just wanted to check if a long night of work and a swag of eclectic E3 announcements has at last sent me into delirium.
This will probably be a new parallel universe like Boom is, but in movie form. That’s 4 Sonic universes XD wow! This is honestly fantastic, can’t wait! They are probably gonna be really short tho, cuz they only have a year to shoot each one
Maybe they could explain how Sonic and the other animals are humanoid. Maybe they injected them with human DNA.
I swear to god if they ruin this like they did with 06…… Bleach will be drank
-Prepares the tankards-
I’m both hyped and worried as hell for this. Hyped because its a Sonic movie. Worried because its a video game movie.
I’m a little iffy about it.
It’d be fun to see a Sonic movie, but it solely depends on the direction they take it.
If they stick close to the games and the really good cartoons, avoid overuse of direct innuendos (just very subtle innuendos are fine), don’t use alot of their typical fart/doody/etc. jokes/refs for movies nowadays, keep the characters the same (no ugly lookin’ characters and bad voice actors) and keep it even or perfect (even close to perfect is fine) in terms of creativity and melding Live action and animation, it’d be awesome.
If they decide to include all thouse typical fart/doody/etc. jokes/refs, use too many direct innuendos (too many sex jokes, inappropriate words, etc.), go heavy with the character changes (an ugly lookin’ StH 2006 type Eggman is horrific enough, I pray they avoid pulling that stint or doing worse. :shudder:) , rush it and do the whole speed over quality thing (I know we’re talking about a Sonic movie, but still a quality movie is better than a crappily created, very rushed movie) and end up doing horribly in terms of culminating the Sonic series elements and combining the CGI animation of the characters with the live action elements, I’m not sold.
So for now it’s a little iffy until I see what direction they go with it.
Don’t worry dude they won’t use crap jokes sonic has never used a crap joke before unless your counting smash bros brawl but that’s it
I’m excited for this movie anyhow
I would feel a little more optimistic if it wasnt for the fact that Hollywood has a tendency to ruin every book/videogame/anime franchise they touch.
Right?
Pray for rain, you guys.
Expect a LOT of dumb celebrity cameos, and annoying children side-characters… :/
CG/live action? Is this going to be like the new Ninja Turtles movie by Michael Bay? The turtles are CG and live actors, which means humans, I suppose.
I’d say there is a 90% chance that this is going to be a complete disaster that will forever ruin the franchise and about a 10% chance this could be the greatest thing I’ve ever seen… Hooray for the big screen.
WHAT? I like the idea of one movie, but EVERY YEAR is like those beethoven movies. not sure if that is such a good idea
This news is simply FANTASTICALLY AMAZING!!!!! I cannot wait to see more about the movie, as well as a release date so I can go watch it on premiere day!!~ 😀
… Yearly? Really?.. Why do I have a feeling they’re going to run it into the ground faster than Transformers and the Iron Man franchises?
A Sonic Live Action movie and it’s an annual thing? Are you fucking serious? The Live Action thing alone is a major red flag but it’s gonna be a regular thing yearly? How much fucking effort can you quack out for series of movies in this day and age in a year?
This is just too much. How much more could you do to ruin Sonic’s public image? I’m starting to think the people who have been saying that Sonic should be put to rest might actually have a point.
I am going to be cautiously optimistic about this. I worry about one being released every year – quality should not take a dip, although it could go well if they do it like Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings. You know, filming two or more movies at once, with enough timing.
However, I will admit I am most concerned over the “live action” bit. Now, don’t get me wrong, this can work very well if done right. Enchanted had a bit of it and it was a very good movie. Smurfs, I can’t say – they did try to match the villain at least, but I did not see the movies and I do not like the Smurfs so I am unable to judge. However, there is far more potential for it to go wrong as well. Time will tell and I hope to be proven wrong, but you can never say for sure what will happen.
I can only hope it goes well~
This is going to be awful. I can’t wait!
Also, and I’m surprised nobody else mentioned this, we’re pretty guaranteed to be getting toys and other merch. Kids clothing, stationery, sticker books, maybe even Happy Meal toys again! No matter if the film.itself tanks or not, there’s bound to be at least a few cool things for us collectors!
I reserve judgement until I see a trailer…
You hear that cracking sound?
Thats me putting my head through the table in shear anger!
Sonic Boom MAY STILL BE UNDECIDED IN MY MIND BUT THIS IS TERRIBLE OUTRIGHT!
This is AWESOME.
I don’t get all the negativity on here. Sure, it COULD suck, but it could end up being really fun. I don’t know why anyone would think this would ruin the franchise. Obviously it will exist outside the canon of the game series and as for humans – there’s been humans in the games since about 1999. They should take it down the Adventure/Sonic X route and have Sonic come to this world.
Transformers is always a guilty pleasure of mine. I’m psyched for number 4, I’m psyched for TMNT and I’m psyched for this. My inner-10-year-old is losing his shit!!
Amen to that! (High Five!)
I don’t know what to make of this really… I know I should be excited about a Sonic movie/movies, but… when I hear the Smurfs movie all I can think about is annoying celebrity film actors & kid sidekicks. I seriously hope that they don’t ruin this and just make lazy, slapstick, one-liner films. And they have a proper story & awesome dialogue much like the Sonic Boom cartoon. I hope some sort of trailer emerges soon so that I can decide if it will turn out good. Fingers crossed that they make it decent(or at least half decent).
That live action part really scares me, but I’ve been waiting for a full fledged sonic movie since that old OVA, It’s impossible for me to not be excited
Oh goody. Another crappy movie based on a video game. How many does that make now?
How can you say it’s crappy when no information has been released yet?
Look at the track record of movies based on video games. Nearly all of them suck. Mario, Street Fighter, Bloodrayne, House of the Dead, Max Payne, Dead or Alive, just to name a few.
Look at the track record of live action/CG hybrid movies starring a popular kids toys and cartoons: Smurfs, Chipmunks, Transformers, Rocky and Bullwinkle, Fat Albert.
Basically this is going to be some half assed movie with the overused story of Sonic and friends getting tossed into the real world courtesy of bad CG while the movie will be full of dated pop culture references, B list celebrity cameos and fart jokes. They’ll pair Sonic up with whatever celeb is popular and needs work. Said male celeb will have some forced love interest forcing the plot while Sonic and pals show up periodically to make unfunny pop culture jokes and Eggman will be some live action actor (see Gargamel in Smurfs).
But Sonic fans are used to things sucking after all.
WHAT!!!!? *starts screaming and spontaneously combust on fire and jumps out the window*
Lol. Just kidding. My comment: Wow!
Though a part of me is excited I do raise my eyebrow at the Live Action part of this and also the idea of a films being rushed out on a yearly basis as it feels like a cash grab.
I remember the last ‘Sonic Movie’
“STRANGE, ISN’T IT!!!”
But…I have faith.
I’ve read somewhere else that this movie could go “dark and edgy.”
…Beastility…a Shadow outbreak…a skinny Eggman…
Perhaps, it’s not what I think it is.
Another video game movie being made by Sony starring my favorite game character? SOLD! 😀
I don’t think I’ll have too much to worry about with this movie, in my opinion Sony Sonic tends to do a better job than Nintendo Sonic, and considering the fact that Sony is both a movie company AND a video game company, I’m fairly confident that they have the skills to make this a great or at least decent movie.
I’m just relieved not to see Micheal Bay’s name anywhere on this list, otherwise I WOULD have reason to be concerned. And the whole CG/live-action thing doesn’t signal as a “red flag” to me. Sonic’s world has always had humans in it. The ones in Unleashed were nice and stylized, but it’s pretty clear from the beginning that most of them were supposed to be realistic and that Sonic’s world was meant to appear almost realistic with a bit of a heavy cartoon and fantasy vibe.
I’ve got no reason to be concerned, I’m sure that OTHERS on this and other sites do, but frankly I don’t give a fuck. I’m hyped, you’re not, deal with it. Please give an estimated release window soon Sony!! 😀
SEGA’s just taking the Ninja Turtles marketing model and applying it to Sonic…
“Let’s make a CGI series and put sports-tape on them. After that, let’s give them a CGI/Live-Action Hybrid movie.”
Also, what was the first thing that Sonic said in the Sonic Boom gameplay video from last week? “Cowabunga.”
Case closed.
If Sonic and his friends look and act as corny as they do in Sonic Boom, then I’m done.
This does not bode well. This could potentially KILL Sonic outright if done badly…
… At least I’ll have BOOM…
I hope this is like the Transformers movies, The Dark Knight Trilogy, the MCU, and the recent Godzilla revival, not kiddie, stupid and corny like Alvin and the Chipmunks or The Smurfs.
I agree. Sony, make this movie something we can all show our grandchildren about. Who’s with me on this?
Show and Tell our grandchildren about, sorry bad typing.
Dude… it’s a movie about a super-fast blue hedgehog fighting a villan named Eggman, kids will be it’s main audience. I would rather hope it’s not too kiddy, though not too ‘serious’ as well (like Pixar films for example). Besides, Sonic tried to be serious many times and it didn’t really work well…
yes yes yeeeees .
Sony thank you very much i already love you soo much please take good care of Sonic .
finally i think a Sonic game on PS4 is nearing ( tears ) .
Please universe let it be awesome
I’ve seen several overly-dramatic posts from people saying “this could kill the Sonic franchise!!!!!!”
Erm… How? How could it possibly do that? Mario Bros. had the shittiest movie of all time and that seems to be more popular that ever!
Once again… Psyched for this movie. I’ve wanted it to happen for most of my life. Let’s hope they do it right!
Hopefully Their going to have a title name for Sonic movie not Sonic The Hedgehog movie or game will it maybe Sonic traveling adventure or what ever but please Sony don’t make a bad Sonic movie like Sonic The Hedgehog 2013 okay!
oh do you mean that fan made video yeah it was awful really awful .
but you know sony pictures have very wide experience with those kind of stuff .
the smurfs ,hotel transilvania, and other movies i cant get them all right now .
if you checked ratchet and clank movie trailer it was awesome in the end lets wait .
yeah but Ratchet is there selling franchise they wouldn’t wanna screw it up and the game creators are working on the film along with that animation company (forgot there name), Sony are just publishing it.
OH COME ON, I WANTED A SONIC BOOM MOVIE!
Its bound to be bad due to 3 things…..
1. The producer is a bad choice for the film
2. Sony plan to milk sequels, already confirming this is only being made for cash and no heart/interest.
and 3. Live-action , Sonic and friends may look butt ugly looking realistic.
lets not forget they haven’t got a director attached yet which depressingly could end up being Michael bay due to his success for Transformers and most likely TMNT.
My Honest opinion if they said its gonna be a full CG animated film by Disney (they do adaptions as proven with Big Hero 6) i would be alot more excited, or sold if they said Animated only, Disney and directed by the guy who did Wreck it ralph , he would be perfect because he knows games, his film wreck it ralph was a huge love letter to gamers after all.
Want to be excited about this, but all I do when I hear about this is think of how well Hollywood handled Yogi Bear, Garfield and the smurfs.
Its not a Sonic Syndrome thing, its a acute fear that as usual Hollywood will F.U.B.A.R. my childhood memories with another horrid adaption focused more on a loser male human needing to solve a problem in his life while scoring a hot girl then on the actual title character.
I’m hyped for this. Some fans are worried about the Live action and CGI mix, but I have no problem with that. Just imagine what the Sonic Adventure series would of looked like in real life, real humans with a cgi anthropomorphic hedgehog if it’s anything like the Smurfs, I’ll be cool with that. Sure it’s a video game movie and all of them tends to suck. but since Sega is sort of behind it, i’m optimistic…
I really, desperately want this to do well. If they do it correctly, they won’t bastardize it and make it a kiddie movie. They’ll at least be somewhat sane and make it a good story with action spread accordingly.
awesome I can’t wait for this (squeal) 😀
Even if it sucks, I’ll probably watch it anyways. Should be worth a few lulz.
Still I imagine it’ll get alot of hate from both fans, and haters of Sonic regardless what it’s quality will be like.
I actually would love to see how Dr. Eggman will look in it.
If this film is live-action, where will Sonic be in the real world?
This movie should be made at Disney because AoStH (Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog) was on Toon Disney from 1998 to 2000, Sonic Underground was on Disney XD in 2012, and Sonic made cameos in Disney’s Wreck-It Ralph.