The month was April, 2019.
We had one month to wait until Detective Pikachu released in cinemas. Trailers showcased the fun character design, stunning world-building, and adorable Pokemon that would be present throughout the film. A brief glimpse into CGI Bulbasaur’s eyes made us feel unadulterated joy. Had video game movies found their messiah? Would we really get a decent, live-action adaptation? There was hope.
Then… he emerged.
We first saw him as an ominous, shadowed figure, with disgustingly human-like legs.
Marketing images emerged. We saw his tiny, soulless eyes and the strange, faux-fur texture across his dull, blue body. It scared us.
Then, we saw his teeth.
The original Sonic the Hedgehog trailer was… gross. Part Hop rip-off (but really, does anyone remember that movie?), part corporate shill-fest, the trailer for the film was panned by critics and audiences alike. Why? Sonic looked… terrible. Opting for a ‘more realistic’ design, we were treated to a montage of clips of a strange, uncanny valley inspiring creature trading witless dialogue with our seventh-favourite actor from Westworld. The plot didn’t look too bad on its own; Jim Carrey looked like he had potential, and the road-trip parts were more generic than offensive. However, the mixture of human-like teeth and small, beady eyes in the main character’s design made many people recoil in terror. That day, thousands across the globe had a new sleep paralysis demon.
How did we deal with our fear? Through memes. It seemed the majority of Sonic’s box-office figures would come from morbid curiosity rather than genuine interest, and capitalising on the so-bad-it’s-good angle of the film seemed like Paramount’s only hope of success. That is, until the director of the film, Jeff Fowler, made a surprising statement.
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 🔧✌️
— Jeff Fowler (@fowltown) May 2, 2019
A complete redesign like this has been completely unheard of. The time, money, and effort that would have to go into a complete redesign seem gargantuan. Sonic, being the main character of this film, would take up a hell of a lot of screen-time. Sure, the release date was pushed back a couple of months, but unless they over-work their animators… it was hard to see how it could work. Detective Pikachu director Rob Letterman weighed in on the whole fiasco, saying:
“It would be very difficult for us to redesign anything. We spent a year designing all the characters ahead of shooting so that we could get it all right. If we were off by an inch on Pikachu, [actor] Justice Smith’s performance would go right out the window. For us, it would have been impossible — but that doesn’t mean they can’t do it. I wouldn’t want to be in their shoes — they’re in a difficult spot.”
Well, it seems as if they have achieved the impossible. The new trailer has just dropped and… it is disturbingly good. The redesign is closer to the character we all know and love, both in looks and animation. The new Sonic has more personality to him – moving in more engaging ways. The jokes in the trailer were also changed, providing a few more chuckles and successfully avoiding scarring unwitting children. Sonic no longer resembles an experiment from a demented biologist intent on creating a hedgehog-smurf hybrid, and it was a massive relief to fans. Comments on the new trailer congratulate Paramount on their achievement, decreeing their support for the movie now that they, the fans, were listened to. This is one of the largest transmedia developments in cinematic history; the fans didn’t like the protagonist, so they swapped him out for a new one.
However, a cynical part of me can’t help but think… was it always supposed to go this way?
Thirty years ago, Coca-Cola released a reformulated version of its beloved staple. ‘New Coke’ was not received well by soda fans, as people flocked to their nearest Walmarts to stock up on the old recipe. It wasn’t long until the old formula was re-released, and Coca-Cola was better off for it. The panic-buying of the masses lined their pockets, and the brand was revitalised as people were reminded of how much they loved the original flavour. This is known as one of the most successful misfires in corporate history; one that marketing majors, to this day, are still debating. Was it a fortunate accident, or one of the most genius marketing ploys in history?
Think about it; would so many people have cared about this Sonic movie if none of this had happened? A well-known manipulation tactic is to ask for something completely unreasonable before trying to achieve your true goal, something that would only seem reasonable by comparison. Paramount has changed their request from “Will you pay money to see this demented, blue abomination?” to “Will you buy a ticket to a fun Sonic the Hedgehog movie?” and people have taken the bait. The cynic in me believes this was all an incredible marketing ploy, trying to get us to deepen our love for a semi-successful video game mascot. Sonic has now stepped out of Mario’s shadow, and everyone is professing their love for him.
I may need to invest in a new tinfoil hat, but the result of this whole debacle is quite clear; people care about Sonic again. Through this redesign, Sonic the Hedgehog has transformed from your typical cute live-action kids’ flick to something communication majors and students of transmedia will look at for years to come. In the words of the immortal Bob Ross, “There are no mistakes, just happy accidents,” and after Paramount gathers their money from nostalgic video game nerds, they will thank the disfigured blue abomination that got them buying tickets.
Watch the new trailer below. It’s almost too good to be true.
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