Social media is a powerful tool. Obviously, the medium is great for keeping up with friends and family (or sharing pictures of your latest meal), but it’s also a way for large groups of people to give critiques in a way that celebrities and Hollywood, in general, can track. And when a large fanbase lets a studio know they are not pleased with the direction of a franchise, sometimes that studio will listen. Apparently, Paramount is one of those studios, and “Sonic the Hedgehog” is one of those franchises.
Recently, the first trailer for “Sonic the Hedgehog” hit the internet and frankly, the internet hit back. While there were a fair number of folks that were happy with the tone and the comedy on display, particularly with Jim Carrey hamming it up as if it’s 1996 all over again, there was an absolute avalanche of negative feedback concerning perhaps the most important part of the film — the titular character.
Well, the studio and director Jeff Fowler have heard your cries, fanboys and fangirls. And in a surprising turn of events, the people behind “Sonic the Hedgehog” are going to make some last-minute changes to the design of the character, in an attempt to appease the fanbase and not become one of the bigger flops of 2019.
In a recent tweet, director Fowler said, “Thank you for the support. And the criticism. The message is loud and clear… you aren’t happy with the design & you want changes. It’s going to happen. Everyone at Paramount & Sega are fully committed to making this character the BEST he can be… #sonicmovie #gottafixfast”
And #gottafixfast is an appropriate statement. While the film isn’t scheduled to be released until November, changing the look of the main character in a matter of months, and also leaving enough time to properly market the film is a monumental task. But when a fanbase is unified, as it seems to be in this case, you gotta do what you gotta do.
READ MORE: Paramount Trolls Leg-Obsessed Fans With Latest ‘Sonic The Hedgehog’ Teaser Image
The real question is what does the team behind the film change about the character? There’s not one easy fix for the design of Sonic. In the video games, cartoons, comic books, and all other previously released media, the character of Sonic the Hedgehog has been very cartoony, with exaggerated proportions and unrealistic looks. Trying to make him feel “real” in a live-action setting has led the production to the point they are now.
Do they revert back to the cartoon look? Do they tweak the proportions and hope for the best? Do they just do some minor changes and pray that fans will give it a shot? We’ll hopefully find out soon enough.
“Sonic the Hedgehog” is scheduled to hit theaters on November 8.
Thank you for the support. And the criticism. The message is loud and clear… you aren't happy with the design & you want changes. It's going to happen. Everyone at Paramount & Sega are fully committed to making this character the BEST he can be… #sonicmovie #gottafixfast ????✌️
— Jeff Fowler (@fowltown) May 2, 2019