Sonic the Hedgehog franchise director Jeff Fowler has reflected on the main hero’s original design backlash five years after the infamous first trailer. When the first trailer for the first film was released, Sonic’s design was heavily criticized, with his small eyes, gloveless hands, and human teeth causing him to be dubbed “Ugly Sonic” by fans. Luckily, Paramount responded by redesigning the character and pushing the movie from November 2019 to February 2020. The redesign may have contributed to the franchise’s success, with the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog 3 already being hailed as the best in the series so far.

Speaking with Deadline, Fowler explained how Sonic’s original design in the first Sonic the Hedgehog movie, and subsequent redesign, was a reflection of how much the production cared for fan’s voices about the film. He calls it part of the series’ history and one of many challenges they’ve faced, including shooting the second movie during a pandemic, and the third during Hollywood’s writer and actor strikes. Check out what Fowler had to say below:

Every movie is going to face challenges and obviously we had some very public ones with the redesign, but all that stuff has just become part of our story. And it’s something that I sort of champion. We now have this amazing relationship with our fans. They obviously voiced some opinions, and those opinions were heard and addressed. It’s now just become part of this great relationship with them.

It’s amazing to me that we’re here on a third film, and we’ve made a TV series. I mean, Sonic 2 was made during a pandemic. Sonic 3, we had a writer strike, we had an actor strike. We have always found a way through.

What Fowler’s Statement Says About Sonic’s Eventual Redesign

The Movies Wouldn’t Be The Same Without A More Game-Accurate Look

While the success of the first movie came from both its appeal to an all-ages audience and Jim Carrey’s performance as Dr. Robotnik, the effort to redesign Sonic no doubt helped in making it even more appealing. Had the first movie not turned a profit at the box office, its two sequels and Knuckles spinoff series on Paramount+ wouldn’t exist. This would also mean the cast of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 wouldn’t consist of famous voices like Idris Elba as Knuckles or Keanu Reeves as Shadow, had the film even existed.

Although the initial reactions to “Ugly Sonic” were negative, the design has since become a joke, with Paramount giving away an ugly Christmas sweater with the original design in their 12 Hours of Sonic 3 Giveaway earlier this month. The character also showed up in 2022’s Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers, voiced by Tim Robison, as an FBI contact after getting scrapped from the film. This new, tongue-in-cheek presentation for the design shows how far the film series has come, and how the game-like redesign bought it plenty of goodwill for audiences.

Our Take On Sonic’s Original Design & Subsequent Backlash

Listening To The Fans Paid Off

Without listening to the fans about Sonic’s bad original design, Sonic the Hedgehog 3‘s release likely wouldn’t have even happened. The more game-accurate take on character presentation is just one complimentary element to the series slowly embracing more elements from the games. If Fowler and crew can keep improving on the franchise with every new installment, Sonic the Hedgehog could be around for a long time to come.

Source: Deadline

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Sonic the Hedgehog

Sonic the Hedgehog is a 2020 family adventure film directed by Jeff Fowler, focusing on Sonic, a speedy blue hedgehog who teams up with a small-town sheriff. They work together to thwart the plans of the evil Dr. Robotnik, who seeks to exploit Sonic’s extraordinary abilities for global domination.

Release Date

February 12, 2020

Runtime

99 minutes

Director

Jeff Fowler

Writers

Worm Miller
, Patrick Casey
, Oren Uziel
, Yuji Naka
, Naoto Ohshima
, Hirokazu Yasuhara

Budget

$95 million

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