Sonic the Hedgehog to be redesigned after fan backlash

The director of the upcoming live-action Sonic the Hedgehog film says the titular creature will be redesigned following backlash against his look in the film's first full trailer.

Jeff Fowler addressed the criticism on Twitter, saying that changes are "going to happen".

"Thank you for the support. And the criticism. The message is loud and clear ... you aren't happy with the design & you want changes," he wrote.

"It's going to happen. Everyone at Paramount & Sega are fully committed to making this character the BEST he can be."

Thank you for the support. And the criticism. The message is loud and clear... you aren't happy with the design & you want changes. It's going to happen. Everyone at Paramount & Sega are fully committed to making this character the BEST he can be... #sonicmovie #gottafixfast 🔧✌️

— Jeff Fowler (@fowltown) May 2, 2019

Fans were "creeped out" by the new trailer, particularly by the hedgehog's strangely human-looking teeth.

Ben Schwartz (Parks & Recreation) stars as the voice of Sonic, while Jim Carrey plays Dr. Robotnik, Sonic's main antagonist.

Sonic the Hedgehog is currently slated for a New Zealand release of January 2020.