Jeff Fowler | |
|---|---|
| Alma mater | Ringling College of Art and Design |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2002–present |
Jeff Fowler is an American animator, visual effects artist, and filmmaker. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film as writer and director of the short film Gopher Broke (2004).[1][2] He made his theatrical directorial debut with the live-action adaptation of Sonic the Hedgehog (2020), and returned to direct the 2022 sequel.[3][4]
Career
Fowler was an animator for the 2003 short film Rockfish and the 2009 film Where the Wild Things Are. In 2004, he wrote, directed, storyboarded, did the art layout, and animated Gopher Broke. He also wrote and animated A Gentleman's Duel. Fowler worked on the CGI movie production for the 2005 video game Shadow the Hedgehog.
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, and executive producing the TV series Knuckles and Sonic the Hedgehog 3, both set for release in 2024.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Position | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Where the Wild Things Are | Animation research and development | |
| 2020 | Sonic the Hedgehog | Director | Directorial debut |
| 2022 | Sonic the Hedgehog 2 | Cameo, News Reporter (deleted scene) | |
| 2024 | Sonic the Hedgehog 3 | Filming |
Short films
| Year | Title | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Rockfish | Animator |
| 2004 | Gopher Broke | Writer, director, storyboard artist, layout artist, and animator |
| 2006 | A Gentlemen's Duel | Writer and animator |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Position | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Gilmore Girls | Bob | Actor | Minor role |
| 2024 | Knuckles | — | Director Executive producer |
Post-production Directed pilot only |
Video games
| Year | Title | Position | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Shadow the Hedgehog | CGI movie production | [5] |
References
- ↑ "2005 | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences". Oscars.org. Retrieved 2023-02-25.
Short Film (Animated) (...) Gopher Broke - Jeff Fowler and Tim Miller
- ↑ Short Film Winners: 2005 Oscars, Oscars.org, 2015-02-19, retrieved 2023-02-25
- ↑ Amidi, Amid (2019-05-02). "'Sonic the Hedgehog' Director Jeff Fowler Says Sonic Will Be Re-Designed". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved 2023-02-25.
- ↑ Ames, Jeff (2020-02-11). "Sonic The Hedgehog Director Jeff Fowler on Redesigning Sonic". ComingSoon.net. Retrieved 2023-02-25.
- ↑ Sega Studios USA (November 15, 2005). Shadow the Hedgehog (GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox). SEGA. Scene: Staff credits.