Fans were pretty pissed when they saw what Paramount Pictures did to Sega's mascot in the Sonic the Hedgehog movie. The backlash for this was so great that it was decided to redesign him a day or two after the trailer came out, showing how powerful fan opinions can be. While fans would love it if Sega was completely in charge of the movie but the gaming company does not feel that way.
During an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Sega Europe COO and president Gary Dale was asked about Paramount's film. Dale feels that Paramount should be free to make the movie they want to make since the company has more experience making films, unlike Sega, who focus more on making games. However, they do want Paramount to show Sonic some respect, which might be a jab at that character design.
"I think the idea that you try to control Paramount would be the wrong approach. But at the same time, for Paramount not to take into account our views on Sonic would also be wrong. I think we're looking for a creative partnership that gets the best film. And over the years, I look at the success of game franchises in film and it's very mixed. The idea that games makers can control the process and create great movies... I don't know if that's true or not."
Yeah, proper coordination between both companies is key to making a good video game film. Look at Pokemon: Detective Pikachu, which had an extensive amount of input from The Pokemon Company, though it's clear that Ryan Reynolds had some creative liberty. Still, that initial design sucked and Paramount was smart to delay the film so that the animators could have more time to work on the character.
Sonic the Hedgehog will be coming out on February 14, 2020.
Read:Jim Carrey Has Mixed Opinions About Sonic the Hedgehog Getting Redesigned
Explore new topics and discover content that's right for you!
Gaming