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Sonic the Hedgehog producer Takashi Iizuka acknowledged at Tokyo Game Show that while recent Sonic games have struggled to land with audiences, the franchise's live-action movie trilogy, directed by Jeff Fowler, has helped keep Sonic culturally relevant. Iizuka suggested the films have boosted the franchise's overall visibility even as the games themselves face criticism. The comments reflect Sega's awareness of a disconnect between Sonic's cinematic success and its game output, as the company looks to leverage movie momentum to support future game development.