The world’s most famous blue hedgehog is coming back! The Sega mascot finally lands in the cinema. Yet another nostalgia operation is proposed by Paramount Picture, and not without controversy. In fact, on April 30th 2019 the first trailer of the film was released on YouTube and a Sonic with a definitely “bizarre” appearance unleashes the ire of the hardcore fans. Coolio’s Gangsta’s Paradise notes aren’t enough to sweeten the criticism, the trailer is overwhelmed by negative comments and the target is the protagonist’s design. No sooner said than done! Shortly after, the director Jeff Fowler announces that he has received the message and the designer team redesigns the character from scratch. A change of direction that costs $35 million to produce. The long-awaited second trailer comes out on November 12th and this time things are better, a Sonic more faithful to the original that everyone agrees.
The historical super Mario antagonist, in this cinematic reinterpretation, will have to escape a hipster version of Jim Carrey who plays the evil Dr. Eggman. An unpretentious plot that focuses entirely on the special effects and charm of a historical character who marked the adolescence of many teenagers of the 90s.
Will Sonic, with the help of Hollywood, have a second life?
Soon we will find out, meanwhile, enjoy a series of artworks that faithfully respect the original design of the Sega myth!
In 1991 came out the first cover in Japan designed by Akira Watanabe based on the original Sonic’s draw of Naoto Oshima . A few years later, the veteran Disney/Warner illustrator Greg Wray, gave Sonic a slight edginess to Watanebe’s original Sonic design, complete with greater a depth in color and shade. The box art is a classic example of American cartoon art, and when compared to the European and Japanese versions it overall exemplifies America’s preference for more representational cover arts instead of stylized ones.
