Sonic’s first three films had earned more than $1 billion worldwide by January 2025. With that success, it is difficult to imagine Sega considering a future without him. Yet according to Sonic Creative Officer Takashi Iizuka, he once had to fight within the company to keep the franchise going.

Speaking in a 35th-anniversary interview covered by One More Game, Iizuka recalled how the series’ difficult periods led executives to question its future.

“I was told by the higher-ups that we should cancel the entire franchise,” he said.

Iizuka described resisting that pressure internally. He did not specify when those discussions happened, identify a particular game behind them or say that Sega formally approved a cancellation.

He singled out the first live-action Sonic the Hedgehog movie as a turning point. Released in 2020, its success changed the franchise’s direction, according to his account.

Sega reported that the first film earned approximately $319.71 million at the worldwide box office. Two sequels followed, and Paramount announced in January 2025 that the three films had collectively crossed $1 billion.

That commercial success gives weight to the turnaround Iizuka describes, with Sonic building a substantial audience in cinemas alongside his gaming presence.

Sonic’s movie audience could shape future games

For anyone who first met Sonic on screen, the characters and their relationships may be the biggest attraction. Iizuka believes those newer fans bring different expectations to the games.

In UnGeek’s coverage of the roundtable, he explained that fans introduced through films and animation place more emphasis on story.

“So, in the coming years, I really want to create a game that has more emphasis on the story.”

This expresses his ambition, rather than announcing a specific project.

Shadow is another example of that connection with audiences. Iizuka said the third film had boosted Shadow’s popularity, which he believes is approaching Sonic’s, and that he wants to give the character more attention.

Fans had already influenced Shadow’s future once. Iizuka explained that the team originally intended him to die in Sonic Adventure 2, but his popularity prompted his return in Sonic Heroes.

Reaching beyond games also removes a barrier. As Iizuka noted, playing requires gaming hardware, while films and animation offer other ways to discover the characters.

He maintains that games remain Sonic’s foundation. Expanding into other media lets the franchise reach people who might otherwise have limited access to them.