Chris Williams (born December 19, 1968) is an American-Canadian animation film director, screenwriter and voice actor who is best known for directing the films ''
Bolt'' (2008) and ''
Big Hero 6'' (2014) and co-directing the film ''
Moana'' (2016) for
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Walt Disney Animation Studios (WDAS), sometimes shortened to Disney Animation, is an American animation studio that produces animated feature films and short films for the Walt Disney Company. The studio's current production logo features a s ...
, and for directing the film ''
The Sea Beast'' (2022) for
Netflix Animation.
Early life
Williams was born on December 19, 1968, in
Missouri
Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...
and spent the first 25 years of his life in
Kitchener, Ontario
Kitchener is a city in the Canadian province of Ontario, about west of Toronto. It is one of three cities that make up the Regional Municipality of Waterloo and is the regional Administrative centre, seat. Kitchener was known as Berlin until a ...
, Canada, where his father was the director of Counselling Services at the
University of Waterloo
The University of Waterloo (UWaterloo, UW, or Waterloo) is a Public university, public research university located in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is on of land adjacent to uptown Waterloo and Waterloo Park. The university also op ...
.
Williams graduated from the University of Waterloo with a degree in Fine Arts and then enrolled in the animation program at
Sheridan College
Sheridan College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning, formerly Sheridan College of Applied Arts and Technology, is a public polytechnic institute partnered with private Canadian College of Technology and Trades operating campuses ...
, Oakville, Ontario. Upon graduation from Sheridan, he was recruited by Disney and moved to Los Angeles.
Career
Williams previously worked in the story department for ''
Mulan
Hua Mulan () is a legendary Chinese folk heroine from the Northern and Southern dynasties era (4th to 6th century Common Era, CE) of Chinese history. Scholar, Scholars generally consider Mulan to be a fictional character. Hua Mulan is depicte ...
'' (1998), ''
The Emperor's New Groove
''The Emperor's New Groove'' is a 2000 American animated fantasy comedy film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It was directed by Mark Dindal and produced by Randy Fullmer, from a screenplay writte ...
'' (2000) and ''
Frozen'' (2013), in which he also voiced the character Oaken. In February 2007, it was announced he would direct ''American Dog'', which was re-titled ''
Bolt'' (2008) and was later joined by
Byron Howard, both of them replaced
Chris Sanders
Christopher Michael Sanders (born March 12, 1962) is an American filmmaker, animator, and voice actor. His credits include '' Lilo & Stitch'' (2002) and its live-action adaptation and ''How to Train Your Dragon'' (2010), both of which he co-wro ...
who was the original director.
In July 2010, it was reported by various sources that Williams would direct ''King of the Elves'' based on the story by
Philip K. Dick. However, in 2012, it was revealed that Williams had joined another Walt Disney Animation film, ''
Big Hero 6'', as a co-director inspired by the
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...
of the
same name.
In November 2018, it was reported that Williams had left Disney and he would write and direct ''
The Sea Beast'' for
Netflix
Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
.
''The Sea Beast'' was released on Netflix on July 8, 2022.
Filmography
Feature films
Shorts and TV
Other credits
See also
*
List of University of Waterloo people
The University of Waterloo, located in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, is a comprehensive public university that was founded in 1957 by Drs. Gerry Hagey and Ira G. Needles. It has grown into an institution of more than 42,000 students, faculty, and st ...
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Chris
1968 births
Living people
American animated film directors
American expatriates in Canada
Film directors from Missouri
American male screenwriters
American male voice actors
Animation screenwriters
Animators from Missouri
Annie Award winners
Directors of Best Animated Feature Academy Award winners
Male actors from Missouri
People from Kitchener, Ontario
Primetime Emmy Award winners
Sheridan College animation program alumni
University of Waterloo alumni
Walt Disney Animation Studios people
Netflix people
Netflix Animation people
Writers from Ontario