Good News: Sonic Film Delayed to 2020 for Redesign

After extensive public outcry over the semi-frightening CGI rendering of their new film’s titular character, Paramount Pictures has announced it will delay the release of its Sonic the Hedgehog feature film by three months for the purposes of redesigning the character.

Director Jeff Fowler confirmed the delay on Twitter, stating the studio needed “a little more time” to make the long-legged, bastardized humanoid Sonic “just right.”

Taking a little more time to make Sonic just right.#novfxartistswereharmedinthemakingofthismoviepic.twitter.com/gxhu9lhU76

— Jeff Fowler (@fowltown) May 24, 2019

Starring Ben Schwartz as the voice of Sonic and human-form Jim Carrey as Sonic’s nemesis Doctor Robotnik, Sonic the Hedgehog is the first feature film adaptation of the beloved Sega videogame franchise. After Paramount released the film’s trailer in April, the internet united in a collective visceral reaction (horror/nausea/despair), and soon contaminated social media with Sonic memes and fans’ grievances.

Fowler first addressed the creative team’s commitment to correcting the design in a tweet posted earlier this month, but didn’t mention any plans for pushing back its initial release date of Nov. 8. This sparked a concerned debate over the likelihood of pulling off such a feat in seven months’ time.

Delaying the release of the film to Feb. 14 (that’s right, baby! Valentine’s Day!) seems to be a step in the right direction for the studio, as attempting to rework and redesign the film ahead of its initial deadline would’ve been a creative and technical nightmare. The delay also seems to have appeased both sides: fans wanting justice for the character and the film’s surely stressed-out VFX team.

Sonic the Hedgehog is now scheduled to hit theaters on Feb. 14, 2020, but while you patiently wait to take your partner out for the romantic creature feature showing on Valentine’s Day, check out the trailer below.