Sonic the Movie: a great success in theaters
Sonic the Movie is a feature film released in February 2020, based on the video game franchise of the same name created by Sega. Directed by Jeff Fowler, it follows the adventures of Sonic, an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog with ability to run at incredible speeds. Sonic lives in secret in the small town of Green Hills after fleeing his home world to escape those who would exploit his powers. Although he leads a solitary existence, he dreams of making friends and having adventures.
Sonic’s peace of mind is shattered when he accidentally causes a massive power outage using his powers. This incident attracts the attention of the United States government, who hires Dr. Robotnik (played by Jim Carrey), an eccentric and evil scientist, to investigate. Robotnik quickly discovers Sonic’s existence and sets out to capture the hedgehog to use its inexhaustible energy for destructive purposes.
Upon his release, Sonic the Movie got off to a great start. The film quickly rose to the top of global box office charts. In North America, it grossed approximately $58 million in its opening weekend, a record for a video game adaptation. He also performed very well internationally, reaching a global total of over $319 million. In France, the film has exceeded two million spectators, the third most successful of the year 2020, behind it Principle AND 1917.
Its recent arrival on Netflix France has only confirmed the immense popularity of the blue hedgehog as the film took first place among the most watched films in just 24 hours.
Sonic has come a long way
However, the beginning of the adaptation of Sonic to the cinema was off to a very poor start. During the first trailer, released in April 2019, fans were shocked by the appearance of the blue hedgehog. Sonic appeared there with humanoid features, realistic teeth and strange proportions, far from the classic design and loved by fans of the game.
The criticism was harsh and immediate. On social media, fans have expressed their disappointment, using hashtags like #NotMySonic to show their disapproval. This protest prompted director Jeff Fowler and studio Paramount Pictures to snap a courageous decision : Delaying the release of the movie and completely reworking Sonic’s design.
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In May 2019, Jeff Fowler announced on Twitter that the production team would be revising Sonic’s design to meet fan expectations. This decision resulted in significant additional costs and a postponement of the film’s release from November 2019 to February 2020.
The new design, revealed in November 2019, has received positive reception much more positive. Sonic has regained his more cartoonish appearance, with larger eyes, proportions faithful to the game and an overall appearance more faithful to the original. A historic decision, as it was the first time a movie studio had delayed the release of a film to meet fan demand. And given the film’s success, it’s clear that it did well.
The success of the film also paved the way for a sequel, Sonic 2, the moviereleased in 2022, which surpassed the first at the box office, confirming the viability of Sonic as a film franchise in its own right. A third film is planned for December 2024. A series dedicated to the character of Knuckles was also released on Paramount+.
Source: Cine Serie
Ray Ortiz is a journalist at Gossipify, known for his coverage of trending news and current events. He is committed to providing readers with accurate and unbiased reporting, and is respected for his ability to keep readers informed on the latest news and issues.
