A 'Sonic the Hedgehog' movie is on the way, but fans think his new design looks awful
- A feature-length "Sonic The Hedgehog" movie will hit theaters in 2019 and we just got our first taste of the fan-favorite character's new look in the film
- A motion poster teases a much more human-looking Sonic than what is usually seen in the video games, with visible fur and more defined arms and legs.
- Social media response to the the teaser has ranged from shock to horror, with many fans calling for a return to a Sonic's classic cartoon origins.
A "Sonic The Hedgehog" movie is headed to theaters in November 2019 and Paramount Pictures has offered an early teaser showing Sonic's new big screen look for the first time.
Sonic is best known as the mascot of Sega, the Japanese video game developer that once served as Nintendo's primary competition with consoles like the Sega Genesis and Game Gear. While Sega hasn't released a new console in more than a decade, the "Sonic the Hedgehog" franchise has seen new games nearly every year since his debut in 1991. Through the years the character's popularity has led to multiple cartoon spin-offs and legions of dedicated fans creating their own Sonic art and original characters.
However, the movie doesn't appear to share any connection with the past Sonic games or cartoons. Instead, it brings Sonic into our everyday world as a CGI character, with a style the filmmakers are comparing to Seth MacFarlane's "Ted."
Sonic's design is a bit different from the games too; his fur is made of individual hairs, rather than the solid blue color usually seen in the games, and Sonic has a much more human looking physique, with defined arms and legs. The visual design looks similar to the live-action Pokémon seen in Warner Bros. "Pokémon: Detective Pikachu" trailer, which added skin and fur textures to the video game creatures.
According to the film's synopsis, Sonic is on the run from the government and enlists the help of police officer Tom Wachowski, played by "Westworld" star James Marsden. Sonic is voiced by Ben Schwartz, best known for playing Jean Ralphio in "Parks & Recreation," while Sonic's nemesis Dr. Robotnik will be played by Jim Carrey.
Fans on social media don't seem too keen on Sonic's new movie design and there's already no shortage of memes making fun of the new look. Some have already begun proposing their own redesigns for the film too.
Paramount's "Sonic The Hedgehog" is already in post-production and due out November 8, 2019, leaving a few months for changes to be made before the final cut.