It's official: the Sonic the Hedgehog movie has been delayed from its November release. The film has seen scattered updates since 2018. The first trailer finally premiered last month, but to fan criticism.
Sonic the Hedgehog's development history is fascinating to analyze from a fan's perspective. Video game films do not have a good reputation, so the hope was that Sonic would turn the tide. The first poster was met with negative feedback, and then a supposed leaked poster was completely bashed by fans. If you look at the like/dislike section on the Sonic trailer, you'll notice that there are almost 300 thousand more dislikes. In an unprecedented move, it was announced that Sonic would be redesigned based on fan feedback. Many speculated the film would be delayed because of this, and it looks like it was an accurate prediction.
Sonic the Hedgehog director Jeff Fowler Tweeted the movie would be delayed to February 14, 2020. Yes, the Sonic film will be here on Valentine's Day.
One thing you'll notice in the Tweeted picture is that Sonic is wearing his classic white gloves. While not confirmed, this could hint that the design is already starting to resemble the classic look. Although some may find the new release date a little odd (maybe Amy Rose is actually in the movie), many fans welcome a delayed release for the redesign. Fans have done their own redesigns for Sonic, so it will be interesting to see what Paramount comes up with.
While it may be a good thing to take Sonic back to the drawing board, a redesign will not save a mediocre story. The Sonic trailer was negatively received also because of the rather unremarkable writing. The classic design would certainly make the film more enjoyable for fans, but if the writing isn't good, it won't do well in reviews or probably box office. It remains to be seen if the film will be received as well as Detective Pikachu, which has managed a score of 66% on Rotten Tomatoes. With Sonic being delayed, it's likely we won't get another trailer for awhile.
Sonic the Hedgehog will be released on February 14, 2020.