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Paramount could’ve almost ruined one of their best franchises with a small mistake at the beginning. While adapting Sega Games’ popular character Sonic the Hedgehog, the studio initially went for a more realistic design. It looked awful and nothing like the adorable character from the video games. A little design change later,Sonic the Hedgehoglooked more like its video game counterpart.
It was truly a make-or-break moment for the character and the film. Interestingly, all the studio needed to spend was just $5 million in extra costs for the design change. It should be considered a huge win, given how Warner Bros. spent $25 million for the horrible work of removing Henry Cavill’s mustache inJustice League.
Paramount spent $5 million in course correction that madeSonic the Hedgehoga huge hit
Sonic the Hedgehog 3was released in theaters on December 20 and hasearned nearly $100 millionat the international box office. In December, Paramount announced a fourth film, set to return to the big screen in 2027. It appears that the franchise will continue to earn money for the studio.
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However, all this success should be owed to Paramount’s one decision to listen to what the fans wanted. When the first film’s trailer dropped, there was a huge public outcry against the depiction of the central character. Sonic was designed to be more realistic, which gave him a truly hideous look. It didn’t work at all for fans, who raised the issue on social media pages.
When Paramount dropped its next promo material, Sonic looked more like the video game character that fans knew. The studio listened to the fans’ complaints and spent $5 million on changing the design of the character (via IndieWire). Some sources initially suggested that the studio spent north of $35 million for the design change (via X). However, the studios denied this claim.
It was also accused that the studio put enormous stress on the VFX team to finish the design in time, but the studio claimed that it was far from true. According to IndieWire, the studio’s low cost for the redesign was mainly due to the fact that the VFX work on the film was pending completion for the most part when they dropped the trailer.
Sonic the Hedgehogearned the studio $320 million at the box office against a budget of $90 million (via Box Office Mojo). It is a huge pay-off for a $5 million redesign, something Warner Bros. may never understand.
Warner Bros. spent $25 million on Henry Cavill’s VFX and still did a bad job
Henry Cavill‘s mustache debacle was popular in the mid-2020s, when he had to act simultaneously inJustice LeagueandMission: Impossible – Fallout. Cavill’s character had a mustache in Tom Cruise’sMission: Impossible, which he started filming after theJustice Leagueshoot. However, Cavill had to return to his clean-shaven Superman role for reshoots in the midst of filmingMI.
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Paramount refused to allow Cavill to shave his mustache and he had to play Superman with the mustache on. Warner Bros. then reportedly spent $25 million to digitally remove the mustache (via Business Insider). It is a huge amount just for a mustache and it is unfathomable when we compare the cost of Sonic’s redesign.
Sadly, the $25 million special effects did not impress fans as they quickly raised issues with the poor VFX work. They could see that Cavill’s mustache was digitally removed as he looked weird in many of the scenes.
Sonic the Hedgehogis now available for streaming on Paramount+, whileJustice Leagueis available on Max.
Hashim Asraff
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3018
Hashim Asraff is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, with over 2,800 articles published on celebrity culture, comic book movies, and major TV franchises. With a background in Sociology and a keen interest in pop culture, Hashim brings a unique lens to breaking news stories, character deep-dives, film rankings, and fan-driven perspectives.His coverage often includes the MCU, DCU, hit network shows, and celebrity profiles, giving readers a rich blend of entertainment and analysis. A longtime fan of crime and investigative series, Hashim has watched thousands of episodes of NCIS, Criminal Minds, Law & Order: SVU, Bones, Blue Bloods, and The RookieA passionate storyteller and wordsmith, Hashim has also worked as a ghostwriter and managed multiple social media handles. He brought his writing expertise to FandomWire to also pursue his lifelong love for cinema and television.
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Henry CavillJustice LeagueSonic the Hedgehog
