Thanks to the success of the Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022) films prompting further plans for a ‘connected universe’ across content types, Sega may be looking to introduce more of its iconic game franchise to new media. The first of the two Sonic films grossed $306.8 million at the box office, with Sonic 2 performing even better, grossing $405.4 million. Bolstered by the Sonic movies’ success, Sega told CNBC that two of its popular IPs, Yakuza and Persona, may soon be more than just video games.
“We have other major IPs, and I cannot say too much about it but we are thinking of reviving other classical Sega IPs, too. Right now, there are two big IPs other than Sonic. One is Persona. And also our Yakuza titles. Yakuza is really unique. But that big one is also coming next year too,” says Sega chief operating officer Shuji Utsumi. “But also, as I say, we are trying to be in a lot of different kinds of business areas, like Roblox, movies. All these IPs can be somewhere else other than games soon.”
Yakuza and Persona’s previous adaptations
No specifics were revealed as to how either franchise will be adapted. Yakuza and Persona have previously been adapted for the screen as a film and series, respectively. The first game in the Yakuza series received a film adaptation, Like A Dragon, in 2007, while a short-lived Persona anime ran from April 2018 through March 2019. Utsumi’s comments indicate that further adaptations for both series may soon be coming. However, Sega has not released any details on potential upcoming adaptations.
Film and television series adaptations of video games have been popular over the last few years. Fans of HBO’s The Last of US eagerly await the release of season 2, while Bioshock fans are geared up for the upcoming Netflix film. Further, Bethesda’s popular post-apocalyptic game franchise, Fallout, is being adapted into a series by Amazon Prime Video.
Jack Brassell is a freelance journalist and aspiring novelist. Jack is a self-proclaimed nerd with a lifelong passion for storytelling. As an author, Jack writes mostly horror and young adult fantasy. Also an avid gamer, she works as the lead news editor at Hardcore Droid. When she isn't writing or playing games, she can often be found binge-watching Parks & Rec or The Office, proudly considering herself to be a cross between Leslie Knope and Pam Beasley.
