WritersJosh MillerandPat Caseyhave been with theSonic the Hedgehogfilm franchise since the series' early days. “I think we started working on the first movie in, like, late 2017, so it’s been almost 10 years on this franchise for us, which is wild,” Casey told MovieWeb in a recent interview alongside Miller. A lot has changed since that first teaser trailer in April 2019, featuring what the internet calls “Ugly Sonic.” After a delay to incorporate a new redesign, theSonicfilm series went from an ugly meme to a beloved trilogy. Now,Sonic the Hedgehog 3is one of the biggest movies of the holiday season, earning the best reviews in the franchise’s history, showing how far the series has come.
“The first movie was sort of a little movie that could. No one really seemed to take us seriously,” explained Casey. “When the first design came out, it was sort of a laughingstock.” He continued:
“All the time between that trailer and the second trailer,we were still taking meetings to try and get other jobs, and execs would be like, ‘So Sonic, how’s that?' Like they were pitying us. And we were like, ‘No, no, the movie is good!’ [laughs] But no one believed us. Now, though, withSonic the Hedgehog 3being this big movie that people are taking seriously, that it’s getting good reviews, it’s very gratifying.”
Why the First ‘Sonic’ Movie Was Different
2020’sSonic the Hedgehogseems quaint compared to the two sequels, which introduced the more fantastical elements ofSonic the Hedgehog’s lore, such as Tails, Knuckles, Shadow the Hedgehog, and Chaos Emeralds. The firstSonic the Hedgehogadopted a more traditional family film set up of a fantastical character being dropped in the real world, likeThe SmurfsorHop.“I think everyone would have loved the first two movies to have been likeSonic 3here,“said writer Josh Miller, who elaborated:
“But just the reality of trying to get a movie like this made — it’s funny because it wasn’t that long ago — but studios were so squeamish about video game movies at that point in time because there was such a long track record of kind of critical and box office failures. So [the first movie] needed to not quite feel fully like aSonicmovie that fans would have all preferred.”
Miller added that he is grateful for the patience of the fanbase to wait for some of the franchise’s most iconic elements.
“It was great that we thought they did embrace the movie, because thatallowed the franchise to then become more of what we all wanted it to be with each one. It’s just been great that the fans have had the patience to stick with it and allow it to kind of become even more related to the video games as it progressed.”
‘Sonic the Hedgehog 3’ Breaks an Odd Guinness World Record
‘Sonic the Hedgehog 3’ is already a huge hit, grossing $70 million in just a couple of days, but it broke a weird record before even being released.
Sonic the Hedgehog Has Come a Long Way
The rise and popularity of theSonic the Hedgehogfranchise has certainly been a treat to watch unfold. Initially set to be developed by Sony Pictures, the movie was put into turn around. Paramount Pictures picked up the rights in 2017 at a time when many of their biggest franchises were bombing at the box office with entries likeTransformers: The Last Knight,Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, andStar Trek Beyond.
After that hated first teaser trailer withthe original Sonic the Hedgehog design, it felt like the movie was destined to continue the trend of bad video game movies. Yet the redesign forced the movie to be delayed to February 2020, and for many, it was their last film in a theater before the COVID-19 pandemic forced theaters to shut down.
‘Sonic 3’ Writers Name the First R-Rated Movie Kids Could Watch
‘Sonic the Hedgehog 3’ writers Patrick Casey & Josh Miller suggest that their R-rated modern classic is actually a family-friendly film.
Sonic the Hedgehogbroke the mold for video game adaptations, kicking off a new era of video game adaptions likeFallout,The Last of Us, andThe Super Mario Bros. Movie. WhileSonic the Hedgehogwas one of the last films many saw before theaters shut down,Sonic the Hedgehog 2was one of the movies alongsideSpider-Man: No Way HomeandThe Batmanthat showed audiences were willing to return to the theater after the COVID-19 pandemic.
NowSonic the Hedgehogis one of Paramount Pictures' most valued IPs, withSonic the Hedgehog 4already set for release in 2027and likely more spin-off series likeKnuckles. Josh Miller and Pat Casey have been there since the beginning and have helped the series grow from a small-scale story inSonic the Hedgehogto the epic cosmic tale ofSonic the Hedgehog 3, one that will likely grow with subsequent movies.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is the sequel to the 2022 comedy-adventure movie that featured the Blue Blur and his companions on an adventure to stop Dr. Robotnik from taking over the world. The new film sees the new antagonist Shadow the Hedgehog, arriving to cause trouble for the newly formed trio of heroes, Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles, as they adjust to their earthly lives.
