Sonic the Hedgehog
has proven itself to be one of the most loved video game adaptation franchises in cinema, but one of its biggest contenders is in no rush to make even their first sequel. Sonic the Hedgehog released it’s first live action feature film in 2020, and the movie played an instrumental part in changing the atтιтude towards video game adaptations in cinema. While previous attempts to bring the world of video games to the big screen were plagued with failure, Sonic was a hit, with financial success, praise from the fanbase, and approval from many critics.
As a result, the series has doubled their efforts, and churned out two subsequent sequels in the years since the first movie arrived. And now, with Sonic the Hedgehog 3 proving to be the biggest box office hit so far, and getting even more praise from fans and critics, the franchise is moving forward with plans to make their fourth installment. Meanwhile, another video game adaptation with positive reviews, and a solid box office, that was released a year earlier in 2019 is yet to get its first sequel made.
Detective Pikachu Never Got A Sequel (While Sonic Is Going For Its Fourth Movie)
Sonic’s Movie Adventures Have Been Thriving
Detective Pikachu featured some incredible star talent, with Ryan Reynolds and Justice Smith tackling central roles, and the story and live-action CGI appeared to generally be received quite well. And shortly after the film’s release, it was confirmed that a sequel would be released in that same series of stories. However, more than five years later, the sequel is nowhere to be seen, with no concrete plans for what comes next.
Detective Pikachu 2 has been a H๏τly anticipated sequel since the original film’s release, but the fact remains that Sonic’s film franchise has exploded in that same time period, while The Pokémon Company has put its focus elsewhere. And taking a look behind the curtain of both franchises, it makes a lot of sense why Pokémon is in no rush to create another movie, despite their first film earning significantly over $100 million more than Sonic’s first entry in 2020.
Why Sonic The Hedgehog Became A Movie Franchise But Detective Pikachu Didn’t
Pokémon Is A Huge Global Brand
Sonic has consistently released new games since the series began back in 1991, but with the decline of Sega as a brand, and the simplicity of the games causing casual fans to leave the series behind, things were not going spectacularly for the hedgehog. When the opportunity to make a movie, launching Sonic’s popularity, and encouraging new and returning fans to engage with the franchise again, creating more movies became a strong tactic for the wider franchise. However, Pokémon was in a very different position when Detective Pikachu came out in 2019.
|
Movie |
Box Office |
Rotten Tomatoes Critics Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Scores |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Detective Pikachu (2019) |
$428,919,826 |
68% |
79% |
|
Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) |
$302,452,077 |
64% |
93% |
|
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022) |
$405,154,426 |
69% |
96% |
|
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024) |
$463,280,092 |
86% |
95% |
In late 2019, Pokémon released their first mainline game for the Nintendo Switch; Pokémon Sword and Shield. These games managed to sell over 20 million copies, which broke record sales for the series since Pokémon Gold and Silver came out in 1999. The franchise also had income from merchandise, games, mobile games, and much more that eclipsed the earning potential of Detective Pikachu, which, on a budget of $150 million, was not actually the best or most profitable investment for the company. Ultimately, it seems as though Pokémon’s greater success elsewhere is likely why they are making no effort to compete with Sonic the Hedgehog’s growing franchise.
