Sonic the Hedgehog coming to theaters 2018 — in live action and CGI

Sega Sammy Holdings — the parent company of Sonic the Hedgehog creator Sega — is working with Sony Pictures to bring the blue blur to the big screen. In an interview with The World Folio, company president and CEO Hajime Satomi confirmed that a combined live action and computer-generated film is in the works.

"Sega Sammy Group is currently planning with Sony Pictures to create a live action and animation hybrid Sonic the Hedgehog movie scheduled for release in 2018," Satomi said.

Beyond its release window, Satomi neglected to share little else about the film. It's not immediately clear if this project is in development alongside the previously announced animated Sonic feature, or if this will replace that one. Sega and Sony announced that CG-animated film in 2014, saying then that it was in production at Japanese studio Marza Animation Planet.

Sonic the Hedgehog has held starring roles in past film and television works. ADV Films released Sonic the Movie on video overseas in 1999; it was taken from a two-part anime series that premiered in 1996 in Japan. Cartoon Network airs Sonic Boom, which has gotten a handful of poorly received spinoff games. It's the latest cartoon based on the franchise, the best known series perhaps being ABC's Sonic the Hedgehog (or Sonic SatAM) from the early '90s.

Sonic has been around for nearly 25 years; the series' anniversary will be this June. For more on his franchise's storied past, check out this month's cover story.