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Jeff Fowler

Jeff Fowler
Fowler in 2020
Born (1978-07-27) July 27, 1978 (age 47)[1]
Normal, Illinois[1]
Alma materRingling College of Art and Design (graduated 2002)[1]
Occupations
  • Film director
  • animator
Years active2002–present
EmployerBlur Studio[1]
Known forSonic the Hedgehog film series (2020-present)
Jeff Fowler's voice
On working on Shadow the Hedgehog and later Sonic the Hedgehog 3
Recorded October 30 2024

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]

Career

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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.

Filmography

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Director

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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

Television

Year Title Notes
2024 Knuckles Miniseries
Episode "The Warrior";
Also executive producer

Other credits

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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[11]

Film

Year Title Role
2009 Where the Wild Things Are Animation research and development

References

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  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ Amidi, Amid (May 2, 2019). "'Sonic the Hedgehog' Director Jeff Fowler Says Sonic Will Be Re-Designed". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  3. ^ Ames, Jeff (February 11, 2020). "Sonic The Hedgehog Director Jeff Fowler on Redesigning Sonic". ComingSoon.net. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  4. ^ "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
  5. ^ Short Film Winners: 2005 Oscars, Oscars.org, February 19, 2015, retrieved February 25, 2023
  6. ^ Jackson, Gordon (August 29, 2024). "Sonic 3 Director Jeff Fowler Celebrates 20 Years of Shadow the Hedgehog". Gizmodo. Retrieved July 19, 2025.
  7. ^ 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.
  8. ^ 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.
  9. ^ Gonzalez, Umberto (November 19, 2020). "Jeff Fowler to Direct Live-Action CGI-Hybrid 'Pink Panther' for MGM". TheWrap. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
  10. ^ 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.
  11. ^ Sega Studios USA (November 15, 2005). Shadow the Hedgehog (GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox). SEGA. Scene: Staff credits.
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