Without ‘Ugly Sonic,’ There’d Be No Sonic Movie Franchise

The look that launched oh-so-many memes and ultimately a alteration successful Sonic’s quality successful the Sonic the Hedgehog movies has gone from something Paramount Pictures would privation to forget to an important touchstone of the franchise’s history. And it’s each acknowledgment to the fans of the beloved Sega video game’s bequest who knew that Ugly Sonic wasn’t their Sonic.

During an interrogation with the Hollywood Reporter astatine the premiere for Sonic the Hedgehog 3, the film’s dependable of Sonic, Ben Schwartz, talked astir however Ugly Sonic is thing helium embraces now: “Maybe sometimes you request a small propulsion to truly look successful the reflector and to perceive the fans, to past truly fig retired if you privation to adjust. And we did.”

It was truly arsenic if an net assemblage composed of Sonic fans and casual moviegoers gave retired a corporate shriek successful fearfulness astatine the teeth, the eyes, and conscionable sheer eerie countenance of the movie’s botched abomination upgrade connected Sonic’s classical look. Thankfully the workplace and originative squad rapidly worked to reshape the icon into his existent form. “How often tin you deliberation of a movie that truly listens to fans and the workplace takes wealth and clip to alteration it due to the fact that they deliberation it would amended the film? I deliberation it’s seldom ever happened before, if ever,” Schwartz said.

But Ugly Sonic ne'er genuinely died.

The memes proceed and audiences are speedy to quake successful societal sermon fearfulness acknowledgment to Ugly Sonic PTSD erstwhile it comes to turning beloved characters into live-action. One Piece fans are holding their enactment that Netflix doesn’t propulsion an Ugly Sonic connected live-action Tony Tony Chopper for illustration successful play two. And some How to Train Your Dragon‘s Toothless and Lilo & Stitch‘s Stitch retained their archetypal cuteness successful caller teasers for their upcoming live-action features. It genuinely is each acknowledgment to Ugly Sonic’s cautionary tale, due to the fact that hey: if it ain’t broke, don’t hole it.

Ugly Sonic would spell connected to beryllium featured arsenic a supporting quality successful Disney’s 2022 hybrid movie live-action Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers and he’s astir precocious been seen successful a Christmas sweater officially released by Paramount Pictures successful a giveaway. At the premiere, Sonic 3 manager Jeff Fowler besides gave Ugly Sonic his due: “It was retired of the ashes of Ugly Sonic that this beauteous trilogy of films, this phoenix, had to rise. It was a indispensable sacrifice but yes, convey you Ugly Sonic for the memories.”

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 opens successful theaters this Friday.

Want much io9 news? Check retired erstwhile to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s adjacent for the DC Universe connected movie and TV, and everything you request to cognize astir the aboriginal of Doctor Who.