Jeff Fowler

Career 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. According to Fowler, the film Toy Story profoundly impacted him. 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. Fowler worked on the CGI movie production for the 2005 video game Shadow the Hedgehog.

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. He directed the pilot episode and executive-produced the TV series Knuckles, and directed Sonic the Hedgehog 3, 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. Filming started on March 2, 2026.

Filmography Director Short film

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