Paramount has revealed plans to turn its Sonic the Hedgehog movies into a cinematic universe, but some games may be more difficult to adapt.
Kodoani.com – Many fans of Sonic the Hedgehog know that the series deals with interesting lore. Sonic Adventure 2 follows Sonic being framed for Shadow’s crimes and escaping from military custody, Sonic Heroes sees Metal Sonic overthrow Eggman in an attempt to take over the world and beyond. Now, these games have a chance to hit the big screen through the Sonic cinematic universe, but things can get complicated as the movies get closer to adapting Sonic’s more recent titles.
In the first Sonic the Hedgehog movie, Sonic arrives on Earth via a ring that transports him across the galaxy. Therefore, Sonic, Tails and Knuckles are considered intergalactic alien beings. While the story of Sonic coming from another world may seem like an overkill for a CGI live-action movie, it really fits the overall scope of the cinematic universe. Several key elements of Sonic refer to alien life forms, but this only affects the universe the story is directed at.
The reach of the Sonic cinematic universe
Chief Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 both achieved record profits for movie adaptations of games. While Sonic fans make up a fair portion of that audience, there are also likely viewers who have never played a Sonic game. While this isn’t a bad thing, as it helps increase audience taste for the entire series, it could mean that when games like Sonic Unleashed are adapted for movie theaters, newer fans may not accept it openly.
An important aspect of any story exchange is distrusting the audience. This concept refers to how long viewers can ignore that certain elements in a story are not real. It’s important for any media to keep people interested, no matter what it looks like, that way the viewer can enjoy the story without question. Several Sonic games, many of which Sega were withdrawn from the market due to critical reception, were subsequently discontinued. Movie adaptations of these games can confuse brand-new audiences in the same way.
The story of the recent Sonic game
Many loyal Sonic fans who regularly follow the series know that each game is different in terms of plot. One game might feature Sonic and his friends racing on skateboards in a worldwide Grand Prix, and the next where Sonic is kidnapped by Dr. Eggman for six months while the world is at war. While jumping between these different tones may be normal in video games, the movies demand a more cohesive story. This can lead to a problem when adapting the story of recent games in particular.
Given the varied nature of the stories of these games, it might make fans wonder how titles like Sonic and the Black Knight or Sonic Generations could have been adapted. However, there is a high chance that many people who have not played the game before the Sonic movies will be confused or lose interest in movies or TV shows related to Sonic the Werehog or Sonic’s prison break with Babylon Rogues from Sonic Riders. However, these games should not be overlooked when deciding what cinematic universe to adapt.
Why the Sonic Cinematic Universe should adapt newer games
Even as confusing as some of the more recent additions to Sonic lore may be, their use to expand the Sonic cinematic universe holds a lot of potential. Sonic Unleashed and Sonic and the Black Knight have been praised by many Sonic fans for their story, with the latter being seen as an example of how Sonic’s story can be told in general, and Unleashed’s opening cutscene more like a movie. This means that many Sonic fans hope to see these games adapted in some way, and the cinematic universe should keep them in mind.
In order to bring Sonic the Werehog or even Wisps to theaters, Paramount may need to consider adapting these games to what is already established in the cinematic universe. This is important to make sure newer audiences are not confused. However, changes to these fan-favorite stories will need to be made carefully, or the film will lose a loyal fan base of the Sonic series who feel it has gone too far. .
The trouble with adapting games into movies in a way that appeals to audiences isn’t exclusive to the Sonic franchise. Video game movies in general tend to have a split between audiences consisting of loyal players and casual viewers. While some movies try to engage viewers by enjoying and embracing the exclusive lore of the cinematic universe, oftentimes players don’t like spending time on this side. On the other hand, if these video game movies try to just memorize the player, they could be completely lost to newer viewers. It’s important that the Sonic movies continue to try and entertain both types of audiences.
However, while adapting games to poor reception may seem like a risk, if executed well these projects could be great for the Sonic cinematic universe. Despite the fact that some fans have questioned the additions of Sonic Colors’ Wisps and Sonic Lost World’s Deadly Six, these newer games can easily make for great movies if given the right amount of attention. into the project. While it’s understandable that not every game can behave like a movie, Paramount should see this as a challenge and deal with it quickly. In the end, movies loyal to even the weirdest parts of Sonic the Hedgehog’s history could benefit.
Via: Kodoani.com