As Sonic the Hedgehog celebrates its 35th anniversary, the franchise stands as one of SEGA’s biggest flagship properties. But Sonic Team head Takashi Iizuka recently revealed that the series once fell into such a deep slump that company executives considered ending it altogether. The unexpected turning point? The first live-action Sonic the Hedgehog movie, released in 2020.
Speaking with One More Game, Iizuka reflected on Sonic the Hedgehog’s 35-year history, saying he has always regarded the franchise like his own child—even as it weathered plenty of highs and lows over the decades.
“At the lowest point, executives told me we should cancel the entire series. I had to fight within the company and do everything I could to keep it alive,” Iizuka said. For him, the moment that truly reversed the franchise’s fortunes was the success of the first live-action movie. “The biggest milestone for me was the first movie. It was extremely successful, and it genuinely changed the direction the franchise took afterward.”
The franchise itself was not the only one that narrowly escaped cancellation. Fan-favorite character Shadow the Hedgehog once faced a similar fate. According to Iizuka, Shadow was originally meant to die for good at the end of Sonic Adventure 2, and the team had no plans to bring him back. His overwhelming popularity with fans ultimately led to his revival in Sonic Heroes.
Iizuka added that following the release of the third live-action movie, Shadow’s popularity has gradually begun to rival Sonic’s own. Shadow is also Iizuka’s personal favorite character, and he hopes to give him an even bigger role in the future.
via： One More Game