EDIT: 21/11/2019 Since the time of writing it is now being suggested that Paramount’s Sonic redesign cost less than first believed. IndieWire reports that the actual figure is closer to $5m. Original article as follows:
It’s official: we all love the Sonic the Hedgehog redesign. When the upcoming movie’s first trailer dropped earlier this year it was met with outrage from fans thanks to its…unique take on Sonic.
However, after going back to the drawing board with Sonic’s design, Paramount Pictures has wowed the world with its new look. But just how difficult – and expensive – is it to redo a whole CGI character just months before a movie releases?
According to analysis website Social Films a lot of time, effort and money went into the redesign, with an estimated $2,150,000 believed to have gone into the trailer design alone.
Redoing the Sonic model for the whole movie is expected to have cost approximately $35 million. Putting that into perspective, the Sonic flick has an estimated budget of $90 million, with an original VFX budget of anywhere between $18 million and $31 million. If these figures are correct, Paramount could have invested double the expected VFX budget following the fan outcry.
However, Social Films‘ analytics into the trailer and its reception seem to show that it was definitely a smart move from Paramount.
YouTube Likes are up 360% on the new trailer compared to the old and Dislikes are down by a whopping 98%.
Social Films explains: “In April, the first trailer for Sonic The Hedgehog received 9,422,936 views in the first 24 hours of being uploaded to YouTube, along with 146,263 likes. However, at the same time, the trailer received 225,683 dislikes from disgruntled fans and 78,843 comments, with many critical of how Sonic had been modelled.
“Fast forward to November and Paramount Pictures have released their remodelled Sonic to the world, which in the first 24 hours of being uploaded to YouTube has amassed 12,745,367 views and 672,652 likes; while dislikes have plummeted to just 4,924 and comments have risen to 82,205.”
Sonic the Hedgehog releases in February 2020.
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Featured Image Credit: Paramount Pictures