Reports of Sega games made into movies aren't really new; the developer plans to take the franchise to a whole new level in different media, though.
Sonic the Hedgehog is but one of several Sega games made into movies, as the developer plans to revive its extensive catalog of back titles for film, TV, and digital adaptations.
Sega has hired talent to work on the projects: Evan Cholfin, former executive of Break Media. Cholfin is the present head of Stories International, a collaboration between Sega and Hakuhodo DY Group; the latter is seventh in the world's biggest advertising films, launched in 2011.
Sega Genesis movie games should bring classic characters from the console back to life, notably those in Streets of Rage, Altered Beast, Crazy Taxi, and Shinobi. The company also includes rights to Virtua Fighter and Golden Axe in its portfolio of properties.
Cholfin will be hands-on in the decision-making at Stories, working with CEO Tomoya Suzuki. Based in Culvert City, California, the collaboration will be the US arm Japan's Hakuhodo DY Group, developing content for the Asian market.
Suzuki: "With his impeccable taste and experience developing and producing entertainment in nearly every format imaginable, Evan is the unique executive to revitalize and canonize our partners' brands by working with Hollywood to create stories that will last for centuries." (variety.com)
Jumpstarting an initiative for Sega games made into movies isn't new in the industry; the prospect showed potential when games like Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter, and Tomb Raider were adapted into feature-length films. Sony is confirmed to film the Sonic the Hedgehog film adaptation, helmed by Neal Moritz of "Fast & Furious."
Columbia Pictures executive Hannah Minghella comments on the adaptation, "There are limitless stories to tell with a character like Sonic the Hedgehog and a built-in international fan base. 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." (empireonline.com)
