The Sonic the Hedgehog film series has grown increasingly popular, with its third installment recently hitting theaters. In a recent discussion, main writers Pat Casey and Josh Miller shared insights on the production challenges faced by the original 2020 release, notably the widely criticized design of Ugly Sonic. The initial film follows the journey of Ben Schwartz’s blue hedgehog as he navigates Earth, aligning himself with James Marsden’s character, a local officer, while evading the villainous Dr. Robotnik, portrayed by Jim Carrey. The latest chapter introduces a formidable new adversary in the form of Shadow the Hedgehog, voiced by Keanu Reeves.
In an interview with Collider, Casey and Miller were asked about the impact of the Ugly Sonic redesign on the movie’s release timeline. Casey emphasized that there were “no reshoots at all,” affirming that the core live-action narrative remained intact, though there were adjustments made to the animated prologue:
Pat Casey: There were no reshoots at all. All the live-action stuff remained exactly the same. So, the story overall remained pretty much the same. We did come back in and retool some stuff, especially the very beginning of the movie.
Miller expressed relief that the film’s release was postponed by several months to allow for revisions. He described this delay as a rare opportunity that many creative teams seldom experience, dubbing it an “interesting miracle”:
Josh Miller: I was gonna say it wasn’t even that changing the design necessitated retooling anything in the script. It was more that we got to, because on any movie, including the sequels, there’s always a release date. And filmmakers, I’m sure, Jeff Fowler and Toby Ascher and everyone would say the same thing: You never actually have as much time as you wish you could have. But when they bumped back the release date a few months, just because they needed time to be able to re-render certain things, that just gave the whole production more time to keep retooling with the script. So, it’s all things we probably would have done if the release date had already been in February of 2020 the whole time. So it was, it was kind of, actually, an interesting miracle, in a way, to get this extra time that you almost never get.
Insights into Production Revisions from Casey & Miller
How the Delay Ensured a Faithful Adaptation
Casey and Miller’s reflections shed light on what the initial Sonic the Hedgehog film might have looked like without the redesign. Early promotional materials featured Sonic and Tom in scenes largely unchanged from the final product, except for Sonic’s appearance. However, earlier teasers did not depict Sonic’s life in his original world alongside Longclaw, nor did they show the initial conflict that propelled him to Earth.
Since trailers failed to showcase the video-game-inspired prologue, and considering the writers described the film as “not faithful”to any particular game, it is apparent that the original cut might have distanced itself even further from its gaming roots. As a result, the recent adjustments likely included the addition of characters such as the Echidnas and Longclaw, possibly bringing them closer to their video game portrayals.
Legacy of the Sonic the Hedgehog Redesign Controversy
Benefits of the Design Change for the Franchise
The negative reception surrounding the Ugly Sonic design has resonated strongly among audiences and creators alike. The trailer has since been withdrawn from official channels, further emphasizing this misstep, which even became a point of mockery within the franchise itself. On the other hand, the success of both the original film and its sequel affirms that the last-minute redesign was not just a necessary change, but a crucial turning point. The Sonic the Hedgehog film series has not only thrived at the box office but has also played a key role in reviving the franchise as a whole.
As anticipation builds for Sonic the Hedgehog 4, it’s unlikely that anyone would wish to revisit the faux pas of the original design. However, for those curious about the largely unseen first cut, it’s clear that the finished product more closely aligns with what fans ultimately wanted to see.
Source: Collider