If you are a fan of video games, Sonic the Hedgehog, or train wrecks, then you must have had an interesting week. The first trailer for the Sonic the Hedgehog movie debuted and showcased the first real look at the Blue Blur in live-action. It was not received well at all, and the online backlash was so extreme that the film is now redesigning Sonic. Fans reacted positively to that news and now the co-creator of Sonic has shared his support for the re-design.
Even before the trailer released, fans had an inkling the film had made some significant changes to Sonic's design. The director, Jeff Fowler, had indicated in an interview that they had to tinker with the design to make it believable in the real world, and that Sega was not entirely on board with those changes.
There was also some promotional material that leaked and didn't do many favors. After the trailer dropped, the outcry and ridicule over the movie was so extreme that Paramount is re-designing Sonic to be more in line with his video game appearances.
It's certainly a unique situation, as not many films have changed the design of the main character so late in the game (think of all the posters and marketing that will need to be changed now). However, it's a decision that Yuji Naka, the co-creator of Sonic, is totally all right with.
The video game designer took to Twitter to thank Sonic fans for being vocal and getting the movie design changed. Naka sees this as a positive direction for the film. He doesn't outright say this, but the tweet would indicate that Naka wasn't a fan of the live-action Sonic either and now his creation has a second chance.
It's understandable if Naka didn't like the movie's version. Sonic video games may have their rough patches, but pretty much the one perfect thing about them is Sonic's appearance. The guy has a great look that's endured since 1991, so the fact that it was altered so much for the movie is a bummer.
Now, we'll all just have to wait to see what the filmmakers come up with. Will they merge Sonic's eyes and give him less shapely legs? Just because they change the design doesn't mean the movie will get better or worse, but it's a decent way to earn some goodwill before the film releases later this year.
All our questions will be answered when Sonic the Hedgehog arrives in theaters on November 8, 2019. It'll be a race for the film to get all those changes made. For everything else arriving in theaters this year, be sure to check out our 2019 movie release guide to plan all your future viewings.
