I'm Worried About The Sonic Cinematic Universe After Paramount TV's Shutdown (2024)

After learning about Paramount TV's recent shutdown, I'm nervous that the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise may be canceled before it even has a chance to grow. Paramount Television Studios recently announced that it would be shutting down. As a segment of the larger Paramount Global media company, Paramount TV is at the helm of notable shows such as Reacher, The Offer, and Knuckles. Though it is unclear how Paramount TV's shutdown will affect the company's television series, I can't help but be pessimistic about the shows' odds, especially Sonic the Hedgehog's.

Sonic the Hedgehog has seen quite a bit of success since it was first adapted into live-action in 2020. Although the video game had been popular for decades beforehand, it took a long time for the movie to come to fruition. Regardless, I think it was worth it. The first movie, Sonic the Hedgehog, earned $319 million at the box office. The sequel, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, was similarly successful, garnering $405 million. More recently, Sonic has expanded into the TV realm with 2024's Knuckles. Yet, I fear this expansion may be stunted much earlier than it should be.

Paramount TV's Shutdown Makes Me Worried About Knuckles & Sonic's Other TV Spinoffs

Sonic The Hedgehog Spinoffs Explained

Now that Paramount TV is closing its doors, I'm worried that Knuckles and any future Sonic series will be canceled. According to Variety, Paramount TV's closure came as a result of Paramount Global trying to cut down costs. Though Paramount TV Studios President Nicole Clemens acknowledged that Paramount TV's shutdown had nothing to do with the success of the company's shows, the risk of cancelation is still imminent. Knuckles may have done well with critics and audiences, but I fear that it may not survive the transition from Paramount to another studio.

What makes the news about Paramount TV even worse is that Sonic the Hedgehog seemed to be in a state of serious growth. In an interview with Games Radar, Knuckles showrunner Toby Ascher said, "We have a really good plan for the future of Sonic...As we find stories we’re excited about, we’re going to hopefully continue to do this again." It seems that Ascher intended to keep expanding the Sonic the Hedgehog world by focusing on other major Sonic characters. After Knuckles' relative success, I was excited to see where Ascher might go next.

It's Unclear How Paramount TV Shutting Down Will Impact The Sonic Cinematic Universe

Knuckles' Success Is Going To Be Everything

See Also

A Scene In The Sonic 3 Trailer Already Has Fans Theorizing About Sonic 4

Since Paramount TV's closure is still fresh, there is no telling what will happen to all the company's TV series. Variety reported that Paramount's projects are going to transition over to CBS Studios, which is also owned by Paramount Global. Thus, certain series are bound to stay alive and well. Yet, cutting costs seems to be of the utmost importance to Paramount right now. That makes me think that Paramount's less successful shows might get the chop from the studio in order to decrease costs and make up for Paramount's $14.6 million in debt (via The Washington Post.)

I believe that Knuckles could have a chance of continuing, but it all comes down to how successful the show was, and how its success compares to others. In terms of critical reactions, Knuckles did quite well, earning a 75% on Rotten Tomatoes. While most viewers appreciated the show's action sequences and performances, some criticized Knuckles for its writing and characters. Regardless, Knuckles was still the most-watched Paramount+ original show in its opening weekend.

The only question that remains, at least for me, is how Knuckles and the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise stack up against other Paramount TV shows. For example, Reacher is a series produced by Paramount TV, and the action show is so popular that it has broken streaming records for Amazon Prime Video. Although Knuckles has done well, I'm concerned that bigger and better shows could push it out. This is especially true considering that Ascher's other Sonic spinoffs are mere ideas at the moment rather than confirmed series.

The Sonic The Hedgehog Franchise Continuing Through Movies Wouldn't Be So Bad

The Movies Have Done Sonic Justice

The good news is, Sonic the Hedgehog probably won't end with Knuckles. Even if Paramount TV cancels the series and any other Sonic the Hedgehog spinoffs, the film franchise is still going strong. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is slated to premiere in December 2024, and I wouldn't be surprised if more sequels or spinoffs could be made in the future. In this way, I am confident that Sonic will still be able to expand and change in the coming years, just not as I might have expected.

In some ways, relying on the movies rather than TV may even be a better bet for Sonic. Though Knuckles was good, it didn't quite match up to the epic scale of the movies. Therefore, Sonic may lose its TV spot, but that may lead to bigger and better stories. It would be just as easy for a Sonic movie to explore other Sonic characters as a TV show would. Therefore, Paramount TV's shutdown is worrying, but we shouldn't become too hopeless yet; Sonic the Hedgehog still has a chance.

Source: Variety, Game Radar, The Washington Post

Sonic the Hedgehog

Sonic the Hedgehog is a multimedia franchise that began with Sonic the Hedgehog's release for the Sega Genesis in 1991. The franchise follows the adventures of the titular Blue Blur, Sonic, as he fights the nefarious Dr. Eggman to protect his friends, family, and the world. The series has expanded into several video games, multiple comic book series, television shows, and a Hollywood feature film series.

Movie(s)

Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie (1996) , Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) , Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022) , Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024)

First Film

Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie (1996)

TV Show(s)

Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog , Sonic the Hedgehog (1993) , Sonic Underground (1999) , Sonic X (2003) , Sonic Boom (2014) , Sonic Prime (2022) , Knuckles (2024)

Character(s)

Sonic the Hedgehog , Tails Prower , Knuckles the Echidna , Amy Rose , Dr. Eggman , Mighty the Armadillo , Ray the Squirrel , Vector the Crocodile , Charmy the Bee , Espio the Chameleon , Shadow the Hedgehog , Big the Cat , Rouge the Bat , Metal Sonic