The forthcoming Sonic the Hedgehog movie has been officially delayed. Originally scheduled to rush into theaters on November 8, 2019, it will now be released on February 14, 2020, about three months later. The director, Jeff Fowler, announced the news on Twitter:
Taking a little more time to make Sonic just right.#novfxartistswereharmedinthemakingofthismovie pic.twitter.com/gxhu9lhU76
— Jeff Fowler (@fowltown) May 24, 2019
The delay comes after the first Sonic trailer dropped to overwhelmingly negative reviews. While there was criticism aimed at various elements of the traier, including the use of Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise, most of the negative press centered on the design of Sonic himself. Unlike his normal video game counterpart, the cinema Sonic was designed with a more “realistic” aesthetic, complete with humanoid proportions and a full set of teeth.
Following a swell of negative backlash, Fowler announced that the Sonic’s design would be updated to be more in-line with the traditional Sonic look. However, many wondered how this would be possible with the film set to release only a few months later. Thankfully, Fowler and Paramount (who is distributing the film) opted to push the film back in order to accomplish this, potentially lessening the risk of overworking the animators.
Of course, changing the design of Sonic can only do so much to improve the film. As the film itself is unlikely to change substantially in this delay, the trailer is still probably a good indication at what we can expect when Sonic the Hedgehog releases. We probably won’t get a look at this second incarnation of big-screen Sonic for some time, so we must all wait in anticipation for his grand re-reveal.
Sonic the Hedgehog stars Ben Schwartz as Sonic and Jim Carrey as Doctor Robotnik. As of right now, no other characters from the Sonic games are confirmed to be in this. Sonic the Hedgehog will release in theaters on February 14, 2020.
