Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers director Akiva Schaffer discusses the appearance of Ugly Sonic in the new Disney+ original movie now streaming. Based on the anthropomorphic chipmunk characters created in 1943 and the subsequent animated television series of the same name, Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers acts as a meta live-action/animation hybrid reboot. John Mulaney and Andy Samberg lead the voice cast as Chip and Dale, respectively, along with Will Arnett, Eric Bana, Keegan-Michael Key, Seth Rogen, J.K. Simmons, and KiKi Layne in supporting roles.
The new Chip ‘n Dale movie is written by How I Met Your Mother alum Dan Gregor and Doug Maud. For years, the screenwriting duo had envisioned a Who Framed Roger Rabbit-style take on the property which finds the animated chipmunks living in the real world as washed-up actors looking back on their glory days as stars of the beloved Rescue Rangers TV series from the 1980s. The project languished in development for years until Schaffer came aboard as director in 2019, who also punched up the script to include a ton of animated crossovers, including cameos from Cats, My Little Pony, and Ugly Sonic. Ugly Sonic is notorious for being re-animated ahead of his live-action debut. After online furor surrounding the first Sonic the Hedgehog trailer, the film went back into post-production and changed Sonic's look entirely.
During an interview with Decider, Schaffer spoke about the movie's appearance from Ugly Sonic, who plays a relatively important role. The Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers director was specifically asked if he spoke to Sonic the Hedgehog director Jeff Fowler about the cameo. Though Schaffer didn't want to answer the question due to legal reasons, he did praise Ben Schwartz's take on Sonic and admitted to seeing the first movie "20 times." Read his full response below:
I have two kids who are 9 and 11, I’ve seen that Sonic movie 20 times, and I love it. And I tell Ben Schwartz about it—I text him pictures that I’m watching it, like, every other time. I love the Sonic movie and I’m very excited to see the second one. I didn’t get to because I was finishing this but I do. Most of the things we were “making fun of,” I actually love. In terms of answering your actual question, I’m gonna leave that to the lawyers, it’s all very complicated. But just know that even the things that seem like we’re making fun of them… I’m hoping the people take it as a fun SNL, with love, thing.
Originating in 2019, Paramount released the first look at their upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog movie showing a curious CG design for the titular hedgehog which included tiny, gloveless hands, beady little eyes, and small teeth resembling a human's. The questionable design choices provoked a wave of outrage and disgust online. Following the fan backlash, Sonic was swiftly and substantially redesigned before the film's release. But now, the infamous Ugly Sonic design is back in full force in the new Chip 'n Dale movie.
Behind the scenes, Ugly Sonic's cameo was quite complicated legally considering the character is property of Paramount and the Chip ‘n Dale movie is a product of Walt Disney Pictures. The studios' lawyers had their hands full coming to an agreement, which Schaffer attests to, but they clearly made it work in the end. Considering that Roger Rabbit served as the primary inspiration for Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers, it's quite suitable that the movie doesn't just feature cameos from classic Disney characters, but also pokes fun at third-party properties as well, such as the Ugly Sonic design and the fan response that came with it.
Source: Decider