After the Sonic movie got its own Cinderella story, Sega seems inspired to keep the adaptations coming. In partnership with Picturestart, Sega is giving both Space Channel 5 and Comix Zone the video-game-to-movie treatment — and hopefully skipping the step where the main character needs a complete rework.
There’s veteran Sega talent working on the movies, too. According to the company, Sonic movie producer Toru Nakahara assumes the same role on both projects. In addition, the Space Channel 5 adaptation adds talent from the original game with designer and director Takumi Yoshinaga on board, while Comix Zone recruits Sega veteran producer Kagasei Shimomura. And if Picturestart sounds like a familiar name, it’s because the production company is also working on the Borderlands movie. They were, however, not involved with weird Sonic.
So far, there’s no early tease indicating what the projects look like, but we’ve got a synopsis for both. For the beloved music game, Space Channel 5 turns the Dreamcast classic into a comedy and dance number featuring a fast-food worker-turned hero. The nameless Ulala stand-in rises to the task of saving the world from aliens, like the original, through a shared love of “silly viral dances” (not just like the original). Calling it now, it’s Ulala as a TikTok star.
As for Comix Zone, Young Justice writer Mae Catt is on board for a story about stories. Described as a witty exploration into the art of storytelling, a “jaded comic book creator” and “young, queer writer of color” wind up sucked into the literal Comix Zone and saddled with the task of stopping a supervillain. Mortus, is that you?
Sega must be pretty damn pleased with its movie success, as it’s now on its third Sonic movie. I’ve only seen the second, but I’d have to agree with Fanbyte’s Kenneth Shepard. It’s neat, “video game bullshit” and all. Neat in that way it’s not an exclusive package of fan service and jargon, but a thing long-time fans can enjoy and still take their less Sonic-knowledgable friends to.
Childhood nostalgia aside, these aren’t the Sega IPs I’d bet money on as titles getting feature films after Sonic. That honor goes to Ecco the Dolphin — have y’all seen Flipper?
