In today’s case of “the internet bands together under a common agenda for the good of all”: netizen comments have gotten Paramount Pictures to bow down to the will of netizens, as the film outfit has just announced that their live-action adaptation of Sonic the Hedgehog will be moved to a February 2020 premiere so as to make adjustments to the character’s design. This was announced by the film’s director Jeff Fowler, who tweeted that the staff are “taking a little time to make Sonic just right”.
Shortly after the release of the movie’s trailer, Fowler stated that the film company is aware of the internet’s scathing dislike for Sonic’s character design and has said that they will then change the character’s design in light of the internet hate heaped on the movie. He added that Paramount Pictures and Sega are “fully committed to making this character the BEST he can be.”
To remind you why the internet abhorred Sonic’s character design, feel free to refresh your memory by watching the trailer released early this month:
As stated in the trailer, the film was supposed to open this November 2019 in the US, with international screening dates yet to be announced.
Last March, advertising agency Hamagami/Caroll, Inc. gave a sneak preview of Sonic’s character design for the upcoming film. As early as that time the internet hated the design—and so did Sonic creator himself, Yuji Naka. Translated by Kotaku, Naka’s tweets reads as such:
“I feel like, with this Sonic here, visually, the important thing to look at is the head and body ratio and the roundness of the abdomen. I wonder if they couldn’t have balanced them a little bit better…These images of Sonic aren’t coming officially from the movie-making source; I think it’s possible they’re being strategically leaked, though getting people talking about it ‘because it’s bad’ can’t be good for Sonic’s existing. Well, there’s also the possibility that this is fan-made, though even so, I’d still prefer it if they’d put some gloves on him. Seeing him bare-handed is quite a shock.”
Sonic the Hedgehog is directed by Jeff Fowler, with Neal Moritz (of Fast & Furious franchise) producing the film along with Tim Miller (Deadpool), Toby Ascher, Dmitri Johnson and Dan Jevons.
Source: Anime News Network