As was the case for the Chinese theatrical release of the new, live-action movie;
Sonic the Hedgehog's big-screen debut has been indefinitely postponed in Japan due to concerns over the Coronavirus. If you're unfamiliar, COVID-19 has rapidly spread across the world. It's a deadly disease that originated in Wuhan, China and has been running rampant since December 2019.
Last month, it was announced that
Sonic the Hedgehog wouldn't arrive in China on time due to concerns to do with the outbreak —
more on that here — and now the same can be said for the Japanese release. Sonic the Hedgehog would have arrived in Japanese theatres on March 27th. A new release date will be announced eventually but is currently unknown.
Official
Sonic the Hedgehog Twitter account for Japan (
@Sonic_MovieJP) shared a statement on their decision to indefinitely postpone the release. The apologise to anticipating fans and reassure that a new date will be announced as soon as it's decided upon.
"We have decided to postpone the release date of "Sonic the Movie", which was scheduled to be released on March 27 (Fri). We sincerely apologize to those who are looking forward to it. The release schedule will be announced as soon as it is determined."
All in all, it's a shame that fans will have to wait a bit longer to see
Sonic the Hedgehog hit the big screen but it's a totally understandable decision and a very responsible one, at that. You can check out the tweet in question below (via
Gamefragger):
Sonic the Hedgehog is a live-action adventure comedy based on the global blockbuster videogame franchise from Sega that centers on the infamously brash bright blue hedgehog. The film follows the (mis)adventures of Sonic as he navigates the complexities of life on Earth with his newfound – human – best friend Tom Wachowski (James Marsden). Sonic and Tom join forces to try and stop the villainous Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey) from capturing Sonic and using his immense powers for world domination. The film also stars Tika Sumpter and Ben Schwartz as the voice of Sonic.
Sonic the Hedgehog is in theatres now!