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Sonic Co-Creators Express Gratitude to Fans, But Live-Action Film Team Could Be in Tough Spot

It's been a rough week for Sega's blue hedgehog. Paramount Pictures stood firm against fan concerns regarding Sonic the Hedgehog's design as far back as December, but the film company finally faced the music after the film's full trailer was ridiculed across the internet. An early leak of the design "shocked" Sonic Team head and game programmer Yuji Naka and he expressed concern that it could even damage the video game franchise's brand.

Director Jeff Fowler promised the design will change before the film's release on November 8. Naka and Sonic's original character designer Naoto Oshima responded the news on Twitter. Oshima wrote on May 2 that Sonic has taken many forms over the years and he's loved all of them but after watching the trailer he's "worried."

Oshima thanks fans for sharing their opinions about Sonic and that his ideal Sonic is one that everyone loves.

Naka shared Fowler's announcement about the design change while also thanking fans for sharing their opinions. He had previously expressed some remorse for Sonic's design in the film due Marza Animation Planet's involvement in the film. Marza, a wholly owned Sega Sammy Holdings subsidiary, previously produced the Captain Harlock CG-animated film. The studio was founded by Naka as Sega Visual Entertainment before changing its name to Marza Animation Planet in 2010.

Oshima and Naka both seem grateful that the film's team are going back to the drawing board but other fans, including animators, are concerned that it will create a poor working situation for the film's animation team. Paramount has not changed the film's release date despite the promise to rework the lead character.

Detective Pikachu film director Rob Letterman weighed in on the situation in an interview with The Verge where he stated that he didn't envy Fowler and Paramount's situation. The director used his CG-live-action hybrid film as an example.

"It would be very difficult for us to redesign anything. We spent a year designing all the characters ahead of shooting so that we could get it all right. If we were off by an inch on Pikachu, [actor] Justice Smith's performance would go right out the window. For us, it would have been impossible — but that doesn't mean they can't do it. I wouldn't want to be in their shoes — they're in a difficult spot.”

The film will open in the U.S. on November 8. It will open in Australia on November 28 and in the United Kingdom on December 26. The film's Japanese title is Sonic the Movie, and the Japanese opening date for the film is slated for December.

Source: Siliconera (Sato), Nintendo Enthusiast (John Friscia), The Verge (Julia Alexander)

Marza's role updated, thanks CastMember1991