Sonic the Hedgehoghas 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 Hedgehogreleased it’s first live action feature film in 2020, and the movie played an instrumental part in changing the attitude towards video game adaptations in cinema. While previous attempts to bring the world of video games to the big screen were plagued with failure,Sonicwas 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, withSonic the Hedgehog 3proving to be the biggest box office hitso 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 isyet 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 Pikachufeatured 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, thesequel is nowhere to be seen, with no concrete plans for what comes next.
Detective Pikachu 2: Confirmation, Story & Everything We Know
Pokémon Detective Pikachu is the first live-action movie about pocket monsters, but here’s what fans can expect from the upcoming Detective Pikachu 2.
Detective Pikachu 2has been a hotly anticipated sequelsince 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 whyPokémon 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
Sonichas 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, andencouraging 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 whenDetective Pikachucame out in 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 SwordandShield. These games managed to sell over 20 million copies, which broke record sales for the series sincePokémon GoldandSilvercame out in 1999. The franchise also had income from merchandise, games, mobile games, and much more that eclipsed the earning potential ofDetective 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 withSonic the Hedgehog’sgrowing franchise.
