Sonic the Hedgehog will see a few changes before film premieres
Translating video games into the big screen isn't easy, especially if you insist that the translation is a live-action one. The film industry is filled with examples of such attempts, many of which have ended up as box office catastrophes. There are some exceptions, of course, like the recent Detective Pikachu movie, so whose to say a Sonic the Hedgehog film couldn't be just as good. The Internet, however, gave it a big "NO!" and now everyone involved might be scrambling to fix the blue hedgehog's teeth.
It's difficult enough to interpret human game characters like Mario and Luigi or even the early Street Fighter rosters into a form that loyal fans will accept, it's loads more difficult to make anthropomorphic ones blend seamlessly with real flesh and blood people. The Sonic film, unfortunately, puts the not-so-human protagonist in a world so different from the game's setting and in striving for realism, the studio behind it may have taken things a bit too far.
From Sonic's human-like proportions to his teeth, the Internet has been flooded with memes, criticisms, and suggestions deriding this particular interpretation of the much-loved character. But unlike the equally disturbing lips on certain anthropomorphic turtles, director Jeff Fowler seems to be taking heed.
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 ๐งโ๏ธ
โ Jeff Fowler (@fowltown) May 2, 2019
Changes are going to happen, he promises, but he strategically doesn't mention which of the handful of pain points will be affected. Fans probably shouldn't hope too much if the film will premiere on time in November. Either they make too few changes or they launch later than scheduled.
Then again, Paramount will probably be spared from having to reshoot scenes, thanks to the magic of CGI. Aside from Sonic's unsettling appearance, the movie doesn't seem all that bad and may be single-handedly salvaged by Jim Carrey in the end.