Early last month, the highly anticipated live-action installment of Sonic The Hedgehog debuted its first trailer. Unfortunately for Paramount, there was a-lot to be desired as the design for the iconic main character was roasted by the internet. Fans thought it looked bizarre and started creating their own variations.
In response, director Jeff Fowler announced that the character would be getting a redesign. “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” he said in a statement.
Now I never was much of a Nintendo or SEGA guy, but I did watch the animated series as a kid and played a few of the games. Compared to the TV series Sonic, this one just looks corny as hell. He appears more likely to grant you three wishes than be the badass he was back then. It’s also tough to get the impression that this creature has any athletic ability, let alone supersonic speed.
So I get why it was initially roasted, but is it really that bad? Not really. The director caved to an internet mob and a harmless one at that. Internet mobs typically disperse within 12 hours and the movie would have gotten free publicity. Instead there’s a production delay and the original design is up in the air.
Not ideal, but at least it isn’t being directed by D&D.
Fake “Leaked” Redesign Freaked Out The Internet
Since Sonic The Hedgehog is long-awaited and surrounded by uncertainty, it is prone to rumors. One such rumor would be a fake “leaked” redesign that is making the rounds on the internet.
Fans of Sonic The Hedgehog should be thanking god that this thing is fake too, because what even….
Just look at that thing! It looks like an older hedgehog who got into drugs and now warns the younger generation of the dangers. That or one of the blue people from that Avatar movie (which was overrated) who’s 40 yet dresses like he’s down with the younger folk.
But thankfully for fans of the franchise, this “leak” is confirmed fake. The viral tweet above appears to be the epicenter of the rumor but the source can be found quite easily. Pill-head Sonic is nothing more than a fan redesign.
It was drawn by artist Damir Martin and is concept art. It’s Sonic if he were in a “serious, dark sci-fi super hero thriller” Martin said in an Instagram post. After hearing that, things start to make a-lot more sense.
Let me also say that the artist has some pretty cool art on his page. You also gotta hand it to the guy for doing something original. It’s not his fault that idiots on Twitter wanna circle-jerk.
So while ultimately fake, I truly do wish Paramount would go with this version. The chaos of it would be something to behold, that’s for sure. I also can’t help but shake this suspicion that this whole redesign controversy is a marketing strategy. I hadn’t heard much about this movie before hand (not the target market) yet here I am writing about it.
If that’s the case you just gotta tip your cap to Paramount. If all it took was a bunch of idiots on Twitter to take the bait, why not do it? Free marketing.