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Jeff Fowler
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Jeff Fowler (born July 27, 1978) is an American film director and animator. He is best known for directing the Sonic the Hedgehog film series.[2][3] He was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film for Gopher Broke (2004).[4][5]
Key Information
Career
[edit]Fowler chose to pursue a career as a computer animator during his high school years in the 1990s, when computer animation was being popularized in film.[1] According to Fowler, the film Toy Story profoundly impacted him.[1] Fowler attended the Ringling College of Art and Design, majoring in computer animation.[1] His thesis, the short film Monkey's Pit, attracted the attention of Blur Studio co-founder Tim Miller, who offered him employment at Blur after his graduation from Ringling in 2002.[1]
Fowler was an animator for the 2003 short film Rockfish[1] and the 2009 film Where the Wild Things Are.[6] In 2004, he wrote, directed, storyboarded, did the art layout, and animated Gopher Broke, which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film.[1] He also wrote and animated A Gentleman's Duel.[7] Fowler worked on the CGI movie production for the 2005 video game Shadow the Hedgehog.[8]
Later, he directed Sonic the Hedgehog, a film based on the video game series of the same name. The film was originally set to release in November 2019, but due to widespread criticism toward Sonic's design, it was delayed to February 14, 2020, to change the design. The new design for Sonic was revealed in November 2019, garnering far more positive responses from fans and critics. Fowler directed a sequel to Sonic the Hedgehog titled Sonic the Hedgehog 2, which released on April 8, 2022. He is set to direct a reboot of The Pink Panther, which is in development.[9] He directed the pilot episode and executive-produced the TV series Knuckles, and directed Sonic the Hedgehog 3,[10] which released in December 2024 to positive reviews.
Fowler is set to return as the director for the fourth Sonic film, which is scheduled for a March 19, 2027 release.[11]
Filmography
[edit]Director
[edit]Short film
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Monkey's Pit | University thesis project[1] |
| 2004 | Gopher Broke | Also writer, storyboard artist, layout artist, and animator |
Feature film
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Sonic the Hedgehog | Feature directorial debut |
| 2022 | Sonic the Hedgehog 2 | Also cameo as news anchor (deleted scene) |
| 2024 | Sonic the Hedgehog 3 | Also executive producer |
| 2027 | Sonic the Hedgehog 4[12] |
Television
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Knuckles | Miniseries Episode "The Warrior"; Also executive producer |
Other credits
[edit]Short film
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Rockfish | Animator |
| 2006 | A Gentlemen's Duel | Writer and animator |
Video game
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Shadow the Hedgehog | CGI movie production[13] |
Film
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Where the Wild Things Are | Animation research and development |
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Lenburg, Jeff (2006). Who's who in animated cartoons: an international guide to film & television's award-winning and legendary animators. New York : Milwaukee, WI: Applause Theatre & Cinema Books ; Hal Leonard Corp. [distributor]. p. 92. ISBN 978-1-55783-671-7.
- ^ Amidi, Amid (May 2, 2019). "'Sonic the Hedgehog' Director Jeff Fowler Says Sonic Will Be Re-Designed". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
- ^ Ames, Jeff (February 11, 2020). "Sonic The Hedgehog Director Jeff Fowler on Redesigning Sonic". ComingSoon.net. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
- ^ "2005 | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences". Oscars.org. October 5, 2014. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
Short Film (Animated) (...) Gopher Broke - Jeff Fowler and Tim Miller
- ^ Short Film Winners: 2005 Oscars, Oscars.org, February 19, 2015, retrieved February 25, 2023
- ^ Jackson, Gordon (August 29, 2024). "Sonic 3 Director Jeff Fowler Celebrates 20 Years of Shadow the Hedgehog". Gizmodo. Retrieved July 19, 2025.
- ^ Ekong, Uduak-Abasi (April 8, 2022). "How to Watch 'Sonic the Hedgehog 2': Is it Streaming Online or in Movie Theaters?". Collider. Retrieved July 19, 2025.
- ^ Russell, Bradley (December 16, 2024). "Sonic 3 director Jeff Fowler pays tribute to 2005's Shadow the Hedgehog by putting sequences from the bullet-heavy platformer directly into the threequel". gamesradar. Archived from the original on January 3, 2025. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
- ^ Gonzalez, Umberto (November 19, 2020). "Jeff Fowler to Direct Live-Action CGI-Hybrid 'Pink Panther' for MGM". TheWrap. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
- ^ Lang, Brent (December 21, 2024). "'Sonic the Hedgehog 3' Director Jeff Fowler on Casting Keanu Reeves as Shadow, Bringing Back Jim Carrey and What's Next for the Franchise". Variety. Archived from the original on January 3, 2025. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
- ^ Kit, Borys (February 18, 2026). "'Sonic 4': Kristen Bell to Voice Amy Rose". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 18, 2026.
- ^ Rubin, Rebecca (February 18, 2026). "Kristen Bell Joins 'Sonic the Hedgehog 4' as Amy Rose". Variety. Retrieved February 18, 2026.
- ^ Sega Studios USA (November 15, 2005). Shadow the Hedgehog (GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox). SEGA. Scene: Staff credits.
External links
[edit]- Jeff Fowler at IMDb
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