Netflix officially announced an animated Sonic the Hedgehog series titled Sonic Prime.
It was rumored a while ago that Netflix is developing a Sonic the Hedgehog animated show, as it was accidentally revealed through one of their Twitter accounts late last year. The tweet was quickly deleted but the news spread out as usual. Now Netflix finally decided to make an announcement properly.
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Netflix has officially announced the title: Sonic Prime, a series said to be a 24-episode 3D animated show based on the beloved video game — which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.
Sonic Prime Says Hello
According to Netflix, Sonic Prime “aims to captivate the imaginations of audiences ages six to 11, as well as legacy Sonic fans of all ages, and will match the scale and scope of the epic adventures synonymous with the Sonic franchise.”
Sonic Prime is described as an “adventure for kids, families, and long-time fans draws upon the keystones of the brand and features the ‘Blue Blur’ of video game fame in a high-octane adventure where the fate of a strange new multiverse rests in his gloved hands. Sonic’s adventure is about more than a race to save the universe, it’s a journey of self-discovery and redemption.”
As for now, it doesn’t seem like Sonic Prime is going to be tied into the recent live-action Sonic movie. The show will be animated at WildBrain’s Vancouver studio, with SEGA and WildBrain working together. Man of Action Entertainment, the team which has credits that include Ben 10, Generator Rex, Gormiti Nature Unleashed, and Big Hero 6, will serve as showrunners and executive producers for the series.
Duncan Rouleau, a writer of the show, has stated that the series will be set in “the video game universe created by Sonic Team” and that “possible Sega crossovers are not ruled out.”
Director of Original Animation at Netflix, Dominique Bazay said: “Sonic is a beloved character and holds a special place in everyone’s heart including my own. I spent many hours with the blue blur as a kid and it’s a privilege to be able to bring this character everyone knows and loves on a brand new adventure with Netflix — one that a generation of loyal fans and brand new fans around the world can enjoy.”
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“Sonic the Hedgehog is a global entertainment icon that has captivated audiences since its video game debut in 1991. With over 1.14 billion game units sold and downloaded to date, an exciting feature film, a robust licensing program and more, SEGA’s iconic hedgehog continues to surprise and delight audiences worldwide. We’re thrilled to partner with WildBrain, Man of Action Entertainment and Netflix to speed into this new, animated chapter in the Sonic franchise”, Chief Brand Officer at SEGA, Ivo Gerscovich added.
And President of WildBrain, Josh Scherba said:
“With generations of devoted fans around the world, Sonic the Hedgehog is more popular today than ever before, and we’re thrilled to be partnering with Netflix, SEGA and Man of Action to deliver all new Sonic adventures for audiences worldwide. This premium franchise is ideally suited to WildBrain’s capabilities and it’s already inspiring great things from our talented creative teams. We’ve witnessed first-hand the enduring popularity of this brand from the strong and steady global demand for our library of legacy Sonic series. We look forward now to bringing fresh and exciting Sonic content to fans both new and old.”
The cast who portrayed Sonic, Tails, and Amy Rose over the last decade will no longer be voicing their respective roles. Maybe Sonic Prime will introduce entirely new voices to this long franchise.
Colleen O’Shaughnessey, who portrayed Miles “Tails” Prower since 2014, responded to a tweet on Twitter that she won’t be reprising the role in the new series, whereas Sega officially confirmed that Roger Craig Smith will no longer be voicing the titular character, a role he held since 2010. Also, Amy Rose will no longer be voiced by Cindy Robinson, a role she has also held since 2010.
Sega made an announcement about the departure of Roger Craig Smith as Sonic, on January 28, 2021.
Craig Smith himself tweeted: ” Welp, 10 years was an amazing run. Onward to new zones!. Much love to the fans who’ve been so kind.”
There are no details revealed about the new cast. Sonic was recently adapted for the big screen in Paramount’s 2020 movie Sonic the Hedgehog, in which Ben Schwartz voiced the speedster. The film already has a sequel in development. It will be great to see if Schwartz also voices Sonic in the animated series since he did a great job in the movie.
Sonic Prime is scheduled for a 2022 premiere on Netflix.
Are you interested in seeing Netflix’s Sonic Prime, a new Sonic the Hedgehog animated series? Are you a Sonic fan? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below or on our social media and be sure to come back to The Illuminerdi for more TV news.
