In an interview with the Japanese magazine Continue, Sonic Team head Takashi Iizuka stated that the Sonic franchise, after 35 years of development, has only realized about half of its potential. He hopes to use the movies to introduce the character to more people who have not yet played Sonic games.
Takashi Iizuka recalled that the original development team once aimed to emulate Disney. When he joined Sega, he was also encouraged to envision broader expansion directions, such as theme parks. Although Sonic now has movies, he believes there is still room for the franchise to further expand its audience.
Since the release of the first Sonic movie in 2020, the cumulative box office for the film series has reached the billion-dollar mark. According to Sega's data, Sonic's licensing business currently generates over $1 billion in annual revenue. When Takashi Iizuka mentioned "half the potential," he was referring to his assessment of the franchise's future growth opportunities.
Creative Director Kazuyuki Hoshino noted Sonic's popularity in countries like Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia while promoting book projects in Asia. He observed that many young fans in Thailand and South Korea discovered Sonic through the movies, while fans in Taiwan have been following the series since the Mega Drive era.
Alex Gomez, head of Sega's licensing division, also told License Global that the company is focusing on underserved fan groups, including young adult women. He also mentioned that Sega already has experience in consumer product collaborations in areas such as fashion, beauty, and jewelry.