It looks like Sonic the Hedgehog is on its way to Netflix, as the streaming service has announced Sonic Prime, an animated series starring the blue blur, is on its way.
The series is set to premiere on Netflix in 2022, and will run for 24 episodes. Animation studio WildBrain will be animating Sonic Prime and assisting in production, distribution and licensing alongside Sega.
“Sonic is a beloved character and holds a special place in everyone’s heart including my own,” says Netflix Director of Original Animation Dominique Bazay. “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.”
As of right now, there’s not much in the way of plot details beyond that it will involve a story “where the fate of a strange new multiverse rests in [Sonic’s] gloved hands.” Sonic the Hedgehog has had several animated series over the years, from Sonic X, which was a loose adaptation of the Sonic Adventure games, to Sonic Boom, which followed iterations of the series’ characters from the game series of the same name. While those two shows were more or less recreations of specific games, the Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog series in the 90s were both original settings and storylines. So there’s precedence for the series to go in one of several directions. Given that Sonic Prime doesn’t refer to any announced game in the series, it’s likely this will be an original take on Sonic and his friends.
“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,” said WildBrain President Josh Scherba. “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.”
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Whatever Sonic Prime ends up being, it will feature a new voice actor playing the blue hedgehog, as Roger Craig Smith, the actor who played Sonic for over a decade, announced he was leaving the role. Fans are speculating that Ben Schwartz, who played the character in the live action adaptation, could be stepping in to voice the character full-time, but I’d be surprised if a Hollywood actor would be down to do voice work for an ongoing cartoon and video games. But some big names have been joining Netflix shows lately, so stranger things have happened.
