Hajime Satomi, President and CEO of SEGA Sammy Holdings, may have just dropped word that Sony Pictures’ upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog movie has been pushed back to 2018.
In an interview with The Worldfolio, Satomi speaks of the future entertainment prospects and strategies of the company, where he briefly touches upon the upcoming feature film. This is the first time there’s been official word on its progress since the reveal two years ago.
On the innovation angle, what kind of next-generation concepts are Sega Sammy working on?
Sega Sammy Group is currently planning with Sony Pictures to create a live-action and animation hybrid “Sonic the Hedgehog” movie scheduled for release in 2018. Like with this CG animation production, we would like to expand our business into other entertainment areas beyond what we are currently involved.
Announced in 2014, the movie is envisioned as a live action/animated hybrid, similar to other popular cinematic reimaginings of classic franchises such as “The Smurfs” or “Alvin and the Chipmunks”. Animation will be supplied by Marza Animation Planet, who have provided various CG opening for Sonic and other SEGA franchises in the past.
Source: The Worldfolio
At least it still being made. I wasn’t expecting it anytime soon, so 2018 makes sense to me.
well it said that it was 2016 and now its 2018 now i rely can’t wait that long dissapointing sega very
wait what move well i mean what video game is it baste off of
Well at least we can rest easy for awhile knowing that it’s still going to be made. However it will take longer than expected and truthful I think it’s good that it’s taking long. So this time the sonic team or whoever is working on the movie will get this right for sonic, hopefully…
Aw well, at least it’s not being rushed. That wouldn’t make a good 25th anniversary reputation for the first theatrical movie to be rushed for release.
Yeah it does make sense is like Sega Of Japan delay it to 2018 shoot, it’s in two years to finish new Sonic movie that kinda take a lot of effort at it holly smokes that’s too long Sega jessus christes man!
I don’t mind the wait at all, I’m just so glad it’s still happening! I really hope it comes out great. Also, I think Crush 40’s version of ‘Sonic Boom’ would make an amazing final-boss-scene song ^^
Wow. I never thought about it but I wonder if any of the games’ music will be featured or remastered into the movie somehow.
Sony’s executives need more time to get their dirty fingers all over the project.
I have zero faith in this turning out faithful to the games, or being any measure of quality. If your hopes are high, I feel sorry for you, and if your expectations are high, you just may need to look into the movie business and how that whole cynical operation is run.
A couple of years ago, I would have agreed with you flat-out.
However, but some of the films that have come out of their animation department were actually entertaining, almost reaching pre-Shrek Dreamworks levels. Yeah, you have godless abominations like “The Smurfs” and “Open Season”, but you also have ok films like “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” (before the sequel went meh), good films like “Hotel Transylvania” (before Adam Sandler f^&#ed everything up) and great films like “Surf’s Up” (which will never get any sequel or spin-off”
Ok, so the risk is high for Sony to fuck this up if they (and SEGA because it’s always f#$%king SEGA) try to appeal to a low common denominator like The Smurf audience. But I’m mostly keeping my enthusiasm up due to the upcoming projects from Gendy Tartakovsky (which unfortunately doesn’t include Popeye anymore) and the upcoming Sony game films like “Sly Cooper” and especially ” Ratchet and Clank”. If they can’t sell audiences on a Lombax and his robot pal having epic and silly adventures through space, then they can’t do Sonic and the movie will suck. Because the most important thing isn’t that they stay true to the brand or please the fans, but that they have an engaging and appealing story about Sonic that only works on a film and that can be conveyed through a wide enough audience.
“We know almost nothing about this movie, but you’re still dumb for having faith in it anyway.”
-Thro, 2016
hey heye HEEEEEY!!!! Hey YOU! YEAH YOU! ROBOT!
Let’s get something straight…
I said that line. I said it right when SEGA announced plans for a Sonic movie to being with.
So if you’re gonna mock someone for their completely acceptable opinions, at least learn how to use the right source. Gosh!
It has nothing to do with knowing anything about the film so much as knowing how studios like Sony produce and market (most of) their children’s films: towards the ones with stupid parents (most of them).
So yeah, suck it.
I would agree with you if it hadn’t been for these details:
1) It’s going to be rated PG-13
2) It’s being developed with the same creators from Sonic Unleashed.
Unleashed you say!? O3O
Consider me blindly loyal! X3
JK, but that does give me a little more hope. Unleashed is by far my most favorite Sonic game and I really feel that they handled the story very well in that game. It felt like probably the most convincing Sonic game AND story after years of post-Adventure experiments. It felt like they finally figured out who they were…and then more experimenting with Colors and their funny or bust mentality. At least the gameplay stuck around for a bit though.
But anyway, if people responsible for Unleashed are involved, then I can easily say that I’m looking a little more forward to this than I was about a year ago or so. I’m a simple fan, it doesn’t take much to please me, but extra effort never hurts. X3
Alvin and the Chipmunks and The Smurfs?
At this point, I’m in no hurry for anything compared to those two “reimaginings” to be made. I can see it now, ugly CGI, bad modern jokes and references, etc.
The Smurfs and Chipmunk films are cinematic diarrhea geared towards the lowest common denominator of parents who don’t care what their unfortunate children watch or hear. If the Sonic film is ANYTHING like those, even just in visual style, all the other cards will fall into place and the Sonic Movie will end up being just as God-awful.
Those two movies were terrible examples to choose from. One of the writers (Van Robichaux) claimed that he’s going to aim for a PG-13 rating, so it’s likely going to be more of an action movie than a sitcom.
that’s very nice..
i wasn’t expecting the movie come out this year anyways…
i hope the world doesn’t end by the time the movie is out 😀 hahah
So true 🙁
I think they should just cancel it.the risk too high if you ask me
When I see the “live action” part in the movie description it makes me sad. Makes me tihnk of the Garfield or Chipmunk movies.
Yeah I’m worried about that too…
Forget all that, do a Flash crossover episode on the CW.
No compañero, that only works on television and with a series in need of a kick in their collective ass, like Supergirl, Arrow, Legends of Tomorrow and….wait, Sonic IS a series that needs something to kick it in the ass, hard!
Nope, you were right. Sonic needs to crossover with Flash, pronto.
Grant Gustin. CGI Sonic. Cisco and Caitlin bonding with CGI Tails. Eggman played by a B-List Canadian actor. Station Square mysteriously looking like Downtown Vancouver. Make it happen DC and SEGA!
Unsurprised– it didn’t seem like there was much to present when we last heard about the film.
But I hope it won’t be like Alvin and the Smurfs… Please Sony Animation, don’t suck!
At least they’re still making it. To be honest I’m kind of relieved since it’s been pretty quiet lately. If they had released it out of nowhere this year without any news as to their progress I would be terrified of the result. Hopefully this is allowing them to still get ideas set in stone so they can eventually move on to casting (if you really need to re-cast anyone), filming, and CG work. Yeah I know hybrid movies like Alvin and Smurfs sucked but they had a lot more going against them than simply being CG and live action, they had writing and casting issues too. Hopefully Sonic will be treated with the care it needs in both those departments and this delay to 2018 proves beneficial.
well i did not expect this to happen i thought the CEO made a promise for SEGA.
TBH Goosebumps was done pretty well for a hybrid, thoroughly enjoyed that film!
The Peanuts movie was written and animated again, brilliantly and I feel Sly and Ratchet will do just as well.
Hopefully they keep this competent team alongside SEGA’s animation involvement
I think they ruined the Goosebumps movie by making it into a comedy instead of keeping it as a horror movie like the tv show was but that’s just me tho.
You know when they hired Jack Black it was going to be a comedy. God forbid he plays a serious role.
The sonic movie’s still a thing?
I can just see it now. Sonic and friends get teleported by Eggman to our world where they’ll have horrible CG and they’ll help, let’s say Jonah Hill learn responsibility and hook up with a hot chick while making fart jokes and pop culture references.
Oh god no…. just no.
What did you think about the Pixel movie Sony made, Katie?
The new Sonic movie; Sonic 06 all over again…
I hope in that time they decide to NOT make it live-action 😐
In short the Sonic film will be The Smurfs and Alvin and the chipmunks mixed with Transformers…….
Why their going with a Live-action/CG film is beyond me and a very confusing/stupid choice.
Just make it a fully animated film sorted.
Besides when was the film “delayed” there never was a release date announced until now.
“delayed”? The movie is not delayed. They never promised an earlier date.
They said back in 2014 that they were aiming for a 2016 date. Though with all the silence there’s been since then a delay was inevitable.
Inb4 Eggman is the Auteur of this film! Fix his script!
😀 haha i’ll be expecting to see gifs related when the movie comes out! XD hahah
Nice. The first time a release date is announced, and TSS says it’s “delayed”.
Didn’t know that having been given a release date for the first time is the same as pushing the date back(!)
Better delayed than rushed
As long as it’s not as God-awful as the Smurfs or Alvin and the Chipmunks movies, I’m good.
Look, I’ll watch the movie but after watching Live Action/Animated movies like the Smurfs and Alvin and the Chipmunks…..I’m very worried about it!
It still bugs me that the movie is being created as a CGI live action movie and from the same people that made Smurfs…. Why can’t the whole movie be animated? This is a risky move that can hurt Sonic’s reputation more than it already has.
As I have been saying, the style the movie is in is not what determines whether it will be good or not, it’s the writing and characters that matter. All of those past movies Sony made shared something in common apart from their CG/live-action style, they all had awfully boring stories with predictable scenes and overused gags and all of the same negative tropes that movie goers have unfortunately became familiar with over the past decade. For some reason or other the people behind the stories for these movies probably thought they didn’t need to try as hard to make the story work, thinking that the sheer sight of having the characters in the same room as humans while doing goofy stuff would be “enough”. Those movies could have been at least decent if enough care was put into the story, dialogue, and direction, but ultimately they suffered for the same reason most films with Rob Schneider tend to fail. Their style was merely just how it looked, and compared to most things out there they at least looked pretty decent, certainly a step up from how characters like Scooby-Doo and Garfield have looked after the transition. The only thing that we can be sure of with knowing that this Sonic movie is going to be a live-action/CG hybrid is that it will at least LOOK decent. The only thing we don’t know of is how the writing will be handled for the characters and story. That is what we should be concerned about. So long as it’s not the same people who wrote for Smurfs and Alvin, I say we have a little bit of relief there. But again we can’t really say for sure until they start telling us more.
I see nothing wrong with making the entire film CGI. I know it isn’t how businesses are run, but DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT! It makes people remember you. I guarantee this will suck, mark my words it will. I have no reason to think that this will be any good at ALL! If I even have to see comparisons to the Smurfs when discussing the production of this film, that tells me everything about the mindset of these corporate hacks! I pass SEGA, you’ve lost me for good!
You’re kidding me. Chipmunks and Smurfs are both terrible movies. They make The Phantom Menace look like a masterpiece. Didn’t someone say the filmmakers were leaning towards a PG-13 rating though? If this isn’t true, this film is destined to be insulted by critics and fans alike. Surely it isn’t hard to make it better than that fan film made several years ago?
I wasn’t a fan of the smurths or Alvin, however the problem with those movies wasn’t the animation, in fact it was great. The problem was the storyline. Those storylines are aimed at children so of course they’re going to be cheesy. This Sonic movie is going to be PG-13 and if you see some of those rated movie now days like dark knight and pretty much every marvel movie, I have faith it’s going to be good, mostly because I think they’ll focus on the action. I just hope it comes with a decent storyline lol. Either way I’m still shoving kids out the way to get to the cinema.
Amen to that!
Try saying 2018 over and over again in your head and realize how far away that truly is!
There’s been jack squat revealed about the actual development of the project. I’m not surprised at all it has come to this. No oooo-ther waaay. (5 bucks and a cookie to the first guy who gets that reference).
I’m gonna be honest…. I was okay with the Smurfs movies. Like I thought I was going to hate them but was surprised that how they looked was fine and that the story was a continuation instead of a reboot. Their attitudes and wackiness were actually the same as in the show only better. (I watched an episode of The Smurfs recently with my girlfriend completely with the films not in mind… That show is horrible. XD Hilariously so. Hmm, maybe if you didn’t like the Smurfs movie it’s cuz it didn’t deserve one in the first place)
I was a bit turned off by the New York thing but I was a bit surprised and pleased that it was through a portal and not just them getting lost. Makes sense considering all the magic and such. The human actors are always cheesy but I liked how the second film talked about the rocky relationship between a child and step parent and the possibility that the step parent did more than originally realized. That was a true subject. And it did relate to Smurfette a bit. And the backstory of hers they were talking about was own most people don’t even know about despite being in the show.
This isn’t about my review of the Smurfs movies. It’s about how people worry about Sonic because it’s CGI/live action. When I was younger, it was because of SA1 (and later SA2) that I pictured a film for Sonic and I pictured it in live action. I even pictures how the characters would look and their texture, not with any design changes either. Eggman was the hardest thing to imagine but that’s why I actually like his design in 06 because it looked more believable yet still looked like Eggman. (He also oddly looked a lot more like classic Robotbik from the neck up… Well aside from HAVING a neck)
I really don’t think it is the format that would ruin the film but the story. Well as long as the visuals don’t SUCK. Even if Sonic is CGI, he still needs to run around a world that is full of landscapes and civilization just like always. A world that needs to be saved because it is a world full of nature and animals and even civilians whether human, anthros or both. He’s the hero so he’s special. The civilians don’t need to have powers. They are US until we transform into him and save your neighbors and family and such. Whether it’s CGI, if there are humans in his world, they will be there physically or animated just like all the buildings and clouds. Sonic will be animated like always because you don’t want them to use a puppet like Yoda or a costume like TMNT. And he’s been in a realistic cartoony world that has fluctuated stylistically more realistic at times and more cartoony at times, so he fits in both, visually speaking.
Not to say the movie can’t be bad or to get your hopes up. I do understand that there is a pattern. But just wait and see. Don’t prejudge based on things that are irrelevant. 😉
Guuuaaaahh WHY >:(