Sonic the Hedgehog is a rare case of a major studio listening to its fans’ criticism, but the redesign to a more cartoon-accurate adaptation paid off at the box office and opens the possibility for the next TMNT reboot to follow suit. When the teaser trailer was initially released for Paramount Pictures’ Sonic movie with a more “realistic” CGI hedgehog, the internet went wild with memes decrying the representation. The outcry was so palpable to have Sonic returned to his familiar visage that the world knew him by, both from cartoons and the Sega video games, that producers listened and adapted their version of him.
should learn from Sonic the Hedgehog and franchises like TMNT could see a successful reboot that wouldn’t need to rely on children’s ticket sales alone.
How Sonic’s Old Design Repeated A TMNT Live-Action Problem
Within established franchises that have fanbases spanning generations, redeg a recognizable face like the Turtles’ or Sonic’s is like trying to reinvent the wheel. Both Sonic and TMNT have been around since the days of Saturday morning cartoons and video game cartridges; these faces that became household names from television and ice cream trucks, that need no introduction, shouldn't be drastically changed. Paramount repeated its 2014 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles mistake by initially redeg the titular Sonic the Hedgehog, but quickly pivoted, learning from their past mistakes.
Listening to their audience delayed Sonic the Hedgehog while the redesign for a more accurate Sonic took place. However, the delay didn’t hurt the film’s reception as Sonic the Hedgehog’s box office was far better than expected. Sonic the Hedgehog ended up being the highest-grossing superhero movie of 2020 and became the highest-grossing film based on a video game, dethroning Detective Pikachu.
Why Sonic & The Turtles Need More Cartoon Live-Action Movie Designs
The comical and cartoonish nature of Sonic the Hedgehog is the soul of the original character. That’s why Paramount’s live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) is still so beloved, the outlandish martial arts by men-in-suits captured the style of fights seen in cartoons and comics. The 2014 TMNT reboot is a forgettable montage of special effects and giant action sequences, with Turtles more recognizable for their accessories than their personalities. To change a well-known cartoon face like Sonic the Hedgehog’s into something creepily realistic, or to ignore the golden rule of any TMNT reboot, is just blasphemy. Here’s hoping that future reboots pay the same level of respect to the characters as the fans do.
