Netflix today announced a new animated series for the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, aimed at an "upper pre-school" audience. It's part of a wider collaboration with SEGA that also includes film adaptations of the Crazy Taxi and Stranger than Heaven franchises.
Little revealed about the upcoming show
In a press release forwarded to Tails' Channel, Netflix described the untitled show as a "high-voltage, comedic, yet emotionally grounded series built for kids who want to feel a little edge, a little attitude, and a lot of 'that's my crew' wish fulfillment."
The animation is currently in development with SEGA producer Toru Nakahara and award-winning show-runner Carlos Stevens, who previously worked on projects for League of Legends and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Stevens' official website claimed that he's "currently showrunning and developing multiple animated series [based on major Japanese properties]," but Netflix has not officially said what his role will be, and declined to reveal a release date, production studio, or voice cast.
The show marks the hedgehog's second series for the American streamer, and the seventh major animated series following Sonic Prime in 2022. All 23 episodes remain available on the platform, and episodes have been syndicated to television broadcasters worldwide, including Nickelodeon in the United States and a French-language dub on Radio-Canada in Canada.
"Expect something cute yet cool for Sonic, hilariously crazy for Crazy Taxi, and a badass action drama for Stranger than Heaven, because we've got some amazing creative ideas lined up and we are just getting started," said SEGA head producer Toru Nakahara to Netflix.
Mixed reaction on social media
On social media, some questioned the child-friendly direction, and that it may land close in scope to existing projects like Prime, Boom, or the social media series Sonic & Friends. Others said they would rather see a "Sonic anime," pointing to the reception of CoroCoro's Blade of Courage manga, or for deeper narratives that the franchise has not attempted in a major television animation project since Sonic X in 2003.
Others welcomed the show as a way to experiment with a different tone, or to build interest with a younger audience. It's consistent with SEGA's interest to promote Sonic to a wider set of demographics through their "transmedia" strategy.
More details about the show could likely surface in the months ahead, with the Memories and Beyond animated special on queue for later this year, and the fourth Sonic film set for next March.
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