Fans across the world have rejoiced today at the Sonic redesign for the Sonic the Hedgehog movie in the character’s new, surprisingly okay-looking trailer. What may or may not deeply surprise you, however, is that this “Sonic redesign” is apparently what the special effects designers wanted to use in the first place. Motion capture animator Stu Whitten of VFX studio MPC Film revealed as much on Twitter today:

Pretty much just went back to our original design lol — s?? ??????? (@Stu_FX) November 12, 2019

Mad props to our character lab and the Vancouver team @MPC_Film https://t.co/5VhXONXFKV — s?? ??????? (@Stu_FX) November 12, 2019

This would imply that Paramount and/or others at various levels of business had requested changes to the original, traditional design. And the result of those requested changes gave us the Sonic that a lot of people despised. Personally, I wasn’t that bothered by the maligned design, but in any case, Sonic’s design in the first trailer might become an example of “death by committee.”

One tweet may not tell the whole story though, as artist Tyson Hesse also revealed on Twitter that he had been brought on to “lead the design” for the Sonic redesign. Hesse is a longtime Sonic collaborator. He drew for the Archie Comics Sonic the Hedgehog comic, animated the opening and closing sequences of Sonic Mania, and directed the Sonic Mania Adventures cartoon.

Honored to have been brought in to lead the design on the new Movie Sonic. Working with Jeff and the modelers, riggers, texture/fur artists and animators in LA, London, and Vancouver was a thrill I'll never forget. #SonicMovie pic.twitter.com/HhcVIxAhXB — Tyson Hesse (@tyson_hesse) November 12, 2019

It sounds like it took a genuine team effort to get Sonic looking his best for the “Sonic redesign” in the Sonic movie, even if there had been plans to make him look like that in the first place.

What do you make of this complicated, yet ultimately joyous situation?

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