This article is more than 10 months old

This article is more than 10 months old

A new trailer for the Sonic the Hedgehog movie has been released, after the film’s director assured fans of the game that the character would be redesigned after a tide of criticism greeted the first release.

The new Sonic the Hedgehog movie trailer is a giant relief Read more

The initial trailer was released in April, featuring star Jim Carrey as Dr Eggman alongside the CGI-animated hedgehog, but was met with considerable derision. The Guardian’s Keith Stuart described it as “a 200mph slap in the face” and said the central character “resembles a cheap knock-off Sonic toy your child might win at a fairground stand and then be terrified of”. The character’s human-style teeth drew particular flak on social media.

Jeff Fowler, the film’s director, later tweeted: “The message is loud and clear... you aren’t happy with the design & you want changes. It’s going to happen.”

Sonic the Hedgehog has been in development as a movie since Hollywood studio Sony acquired the adaptation rights in 2013. However, it failed to get a project off the ground, and the rights passed to Paramount in 2017. The film is due for release in February 2020.