Sonic the Hedgehog (film)

Sonic the Hedgehog is a computer-animated adventure film based on the video game franchise of the same name by Sega. It was released February 14, 2020 by 20th Century Fox to critical acclaim.

Development
Development for a film adaptation based on the Sonic the Hedgehog video games began in late 1999, during the development of Sonic Adventure 2. Sega attempted to develop film franchises from its properties, including Sonic the Hedgehog and Jet Set Radio. Sega CEO Tom Kalinske, however, was wary of damaging the brand, citing the commercial and critical failures of the Super Mario Bros. and Street Fighter films. Despite Kalinske's concerns, Sega was enthusiastic about a film adaptation of Sonic, cancelling other Sega film adaptations.

Initially, the film adapation was shopped around to Warner Bros. Pictures and Universal Pictures in 2001. However, Warner Bros did not accept Sega's offer, since they had an adaptation deal with Electronic Arts (who now has an adaptation contract with Touchstone Pictures) and Namco. Universal intially accepted, with Blue Sky Studios handling the animation. However, this was quickly dropped on May 14, 2002, due to budget concerns.

In June 1999, 20th Century Fox launched 20th Century Fox Visual Animation (now Marza Animation Planet), and were looking for scripts to develop into feature films. In 2000, the studio picked up The Incredibles, a film by Brad Bird, after it was rejected by Disney.

After being rejected by Paramount Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Sega of America, approached Fox with a treatment written by James Cameron, Chris Wedge, and Lord and Miller. Fox agreed to finance the film with a $70 million budget, directed by Wedge and produced at TCF Visual, slated for a summer 2006 release date. Due to creative differences, Wedge left the project in late 2002. In 2004, James Cameron left the project. The film was ultimately scrapped in 2005 due to the film having losing key creative talent, as well as resturcturing at TCF Visual into Marza Animation Planet. Lord and Miller continued to write potential outlines of a Sonic film between 2006 and 2008, as well as 2011 to 2013, when Lord and Miller were hired to produce the Sonic adaptation.

In 2014, Bill Mechanic, chief executive officer of 20th Century Fox at the time, announced that a Sonic film was in development under Lord Miller Productions, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller's company, and that the film would release between 2018 and 2021. The film would be produced by Marza Animation Planet, where Lord and Miller were already working on The Lego Movie, with financing by Regency Enterprises.

In August 2016, Michael Jackson personally offered to pay $46.1 million towards the film's budget. In exchange, his recently-founded company, Optimum Productions, was added to the production, becoming the fourth production company attached to the film. Optimum primarily handled music and audio production for the film.

On July 9, 2017, some pre-development materials leaked, including previous outlines of the film's plotline, two songs from the score, and materials from a scrapped 2004 film adaptation of Golden Axe in attempt to create a Sega film franchise.

Release
Sonic the Hedgehog was released by 20th Century Studios Motion Pictures Group under its 20th Century Fox label on February 14, 2020. In June 2014, Fox had made its first official announcement that an animated Sonic the Hedgehog film was in development, with a release date scheduled for July 20, 2019. At the end of 2015, the release date was changed to February 21, 2020, and was moved up by one week two years later. Fox premiered the film at the Regency Village Theater in Los Angeles on February 6, 2020, and included tributes to Isao Okawa and Mark Landon Sr.

Home media
Sonic the Hedgehog was released in the US on digital download, Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, and DVD by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment on June 15. The film was released on both Digital HD and Blu-ray on September 9 in the UK. Streaming was initially exclusive to Hulu, beginning July 20. The film was announced to be on Fox+ when the service launches on June 12, 2021. The digital and Blu-ray releases include behind-the-scenes featurettes, audio commentary, deleted scenes, and a blooper reel.

Box office
, Sonic the Hedgehog has grossed $336.2 million in the United States and Canada, and $1.01 billion in other territories, for a worldwide total of $1.34 billion, making it one of the highest-grossing animated films of all time, behind Frozen II.