Takashi Iizuka, the general producer of the Sonic the Hedgehog series, revealed that Sega executives had proposed ending the entire brand during a period when the series was struggling. Iizuka continued to advocate for the series' survival within the company, and the first live-action film released in 2020 ultimately became the key turning point that changed the series' trajectory.
Takashi Iizuka reflected on this experience in an interview at the Tokyo Game Show. He has been involved in multiple mainline Sonic the Hedgehog games since the early 1990s, describing the series as "like his own son." Faced with internal opinions that "the entire series should be ended," he chose to continue fighting to keep the brand alive.
Before the release of the first live-action film, Sonic's character design faced criticism, prompting the production team to make revisions. The film went on to achieve success both at the box office and in reviews, grossing approximately $320 million worldwide against a reported production budget of around $85–90 million. Takashi Iizuka stated that this success was "the biggest turning point that changed the course of the series."
Following the success of the first film, the Sonic the Hedgehog series continued to release movie sequels, new games, and other visual media. The fourth live-action film is scheduled for release in 2027, and Sega plans to release some form of Sonic media content every year going forward.