Sonic The Hedgehog was kicking some serious ass at the box office this time last year. It enjoyed the highest grossing opening of any video game inspired movie in history, easily passing 2019’s Detective Pikachu.
And no other studio needed a win in the pre-COVID world as much as Paramount. With very few exceptions (2018’s Bumblebee for one), Paramount has been plagued by a series of flops and bombs the past few years. It didn’t have a single movie among the top thirty grossing titles of 2019 while they owned expensive bombs Terminator Dark Fate and Gemini Man (among others). Rocket Man, their top box office performer of 2019, was supposed to be an Oscar darling but didn’t garner a single nomination in any of the big categories.
The Star Trek movie franchise is up in the air, no one has any idea what’s going on with Transformers and Mission Impossible is on Coronavirus pause (along with the rest of the world). Outside of that, Paramount doesn’t have anything else up it’s current franchise sleeve.
So sure, Sonic was a huge blessing (especially after it dodged the potential catastrophe of going with the initial visual design for the hedgehog in question-which was a horror show everyone hated), but why stop there?
Why not a Shared Sega Universe?
Nothing on the scale of the Marvel Cinematic Universe mind you (nothing may ever come close to duplicating the cinematic miracle that is the MCU), but after decades of designing video games, Sega has a fortune of original characters that could be mined for the silver screen. The SCU (Sega Cinematic Universe) would appeal to a broad array of genre tastes and attract a diverse audience.
And don’t discount the nostalgia factor.
Not only could it mean a potential fortune in merchandise sales for Sega, but resurrected video game franchises as well (all taking advantage of Sony and Microsoft’s shiny new video game platforms, of course).
The ground work has already been laid. Sonic established the existence of countless worlds and how they can be travelled. Sonic could even be Sega’s version of Nick Fury, the glue that holds the SCU together. Imagine Sonic, his handy sidekick Knuckles at his side, assembling Sega’s version of the Avengers to fend off a threat bigger than anything they’ve faced individually. It kind of writes itself.
And just imagine, every movie in the SCU could be introduced with the iconic Sega game intro so many of us fondly remember from our childhoods.
With that in mind, here are five Sega properties that could become part of a shared Sega universe alongside the blockbusting Sonic.
5. Streets of Rage: Sega’s answer to Double Dragon, Streets of Rage was your typical 80’s, martial arts/beat ‘em up game (short on story and long on brutality). While it never attained the same popularity or pop culture recognition as Dragon, it has proven to have enough legs to spawn numerous sequels (Streets of Rage 4 came out last April). So how could it possibly work? Especially if it needed to be toned down to fit into what would have to be a family friendly cinematic universe.
You would need a script that successfully walked a very fine line, but Pixar has proven there are plenty of ways to present family friendly stories while embracing mature pathos. Streets could take place on a world very much like Earth (imagine the fun a capable writer could have writing said world’s alternate history) where big cities are ruled by powerful criminal syndicates. In one such city, a small group of heroes lead by former cop Axel Stone rise against the nefarious forces of Mr. X. It could be a modern urban western, a straight forward story of good versus evil on mean city streets where the heroes overcome insurmountable odds with their wits, will and a lot of fisticuffs. Â
4. Shadow Dancer: Secret of Shinobi: There are two reasons it HAS to be this particular chapter in the Shinobi series. The first is because the hero-a young ninja trying to save his city-is aided by a loyal attack dog. Yep, he has martial arts skills aplenty, a katana and a furry package of canine fury at his disposal. The second is the plot. You see his city isn’t just overrun by an evil ninja cult, it’s overrun by an evil ninja cult controlled by a powerful reptilian demon.
Like SoR, you would have to keep the action and violence to strictly PG-13 levels, but imagine the hijinks the canine sidekick could into. Hell, the dog would probably wind up becoming a fan favourite. The combination of ninja-esque action, a weaponized dog and demonic enemies would be a recipe for success. Throw in some striking visuals a la 47 Ronin and some ninja inspired sorcery (could our heroic ninja summon a divine serpent to go a round or two against the demon lord?) and you could have a blockbuster on your hands.
3. Golden Axe: The SCU’s fantasy entry, Golden Axe could be everything the World of Warcraft movie failed to be. The story revolves around a fellowship of heroes who defy the powerful tyrant Death Adder, who has conquered the land of Yuria. Each hero has an axe to grind (pun very much intended), with each looking to avenge a loss suffered at the hands of the tyrannical Death Adder. The movie would follow the heroes on their quest for the fabled Golden Axe, the one thing that can bring down Death Adder and restore Yuria to the peaceful land it once was.
This could be a big budget, Lord of the Rings scale fantasy franchise that dominates the summer blockbuster season. While the original games introduced the world of Yuria and a handful of characters, the rest is carte blanche. Imagine the fun a creative film maker could have building the world of Yuria, including a rich selection of cultures and histories. And the fantasy setting would make explaining how Sonic winds up in Yuria, searching for heroes to join his own fellowship, a walk in the creative park.
2. Phantasy Star: While Golden Axe could be the SCU’s fantasy darling, Phantasy Star would be it’s sci-fi wonder kid. The concept of the original Phantasy Star even mixed magic with super science, making it a more attractive option for both an SFX heavy blockbuster and an easier-to-explain entry in a shared movie universe. The Phantasy Star franchise was incredibly expansive and would grant film makers a broad canvas to tell a compelling story while building a cinematic world as fascinating as it is unique.Â
The best bet would be to start at the beginning and follow Elis Landale and her allies as she seeks to avenge the murder of her bother at the hands of King Lassic, ruler of one of the four worlds in the Algol solar system (Elis is a citizen of another planet, making her quest for revenge more complicated while offering plenty of opportunities to explore and define the Phantasy Star universe). Phantasy Star was so intriguing and so full of story-telling potential that it not only spawned a number of sequels (some taking place thousands of years after Elis Lansdale’s quest for justice), but also a number of spin offs as well. It was even connected to the Final Fantasy universe during it’s early days. If you could translate that potential to the big screen, Phantasy Star could become a shared movie universe all by itself.Â
1. Altered Beast: Altered Beast was the definition of gaming simplicity, making it perfect to adapt to the big screen (and its mythology perfectly lends itself to a larger storytelling universe).
The main character is a centurion resurrected by Zeus to rescue his daughter from the Lord of the Underworld Neff (the game never reveals why Zeus needs to outsource this deed to an undead mortal, but hey, video games). Obviously beyond the powers of mere mortal warriors (even resurrected professional ones), the hero can morph into powerful human-beast hybrids. Each level has it’s own different beast mode and each beast mode has it’s own unique set of powers.
The Wolf can throw fire and transform into living fireballs. The Dragon can fly, fire lightning bolts and surround itself in an electric field. The Bear can breath ice and turn it’s body into a deadly buzzsaw. You get the idea. What’s ideal about the Altered Beast mythos is that it could be re-written in any number of ways. Zeus’ champion doesn’t even have to be resurrected, just the centurion replaced by a modern yet seemingly random selection (think Shazam!). Not only would Altered Beast be the most visually exciting addition to Sonic’s Sega Avengers, but could even be the most powerful.
Imagine Sonic and the Altered Wolf using their super speed powers against a common enemy? Imagine the Altered Bear fighting beside Shinobi’s dog or the crew from Golden Axe fighting alongside a dragon instead of against one for a change. Altered Beast could essentially be a team of super heroes onto itself and the possibilities would be endless.
As an added topping on the Sega ice cream sundae, Paramount could support the SCU with their new ParamountPlus streaming service the way Marvel is using DisneyPlus to support the MCU. Sonic already has a new animated series on the way and this would give Paramount something other than Star Trek and Terminator movies for its streaming service.Â
They would need a concrete plan, a head honcho with both vision and patience an and army of capable writers and directors. After all, the road to Hollywood hell is paid with studio attempting to create their own cinematic shared universes (remember Universal’s Dark Universe?). But the payoff could be fantastic and it could help turn Paramount into a movie making powerhouse. Plus the MCU may finally have some legit competition.
And all of that would be great for fans.
Image via www.bloody-disgusting.com
Image via www.bloody-disgusting.com
