Chris Meledandri

Chris Meledandri is a producer known for his impact on animated filmmaking and family entertainment. After graduating from Dartmouth College, Meledandri began his career as an assistant to executive producer Daniel Melnick on the film "Footloose." He later produced the Disney film "Cool Runnings," which led to a position at 20th Century Fox, where he was recognized for his ability to produce commercially successful family films. Following collaborations with filmmaker John Hughes, Meledandri was appointed to lead 20th Century Fox Animation.

At Fox, Meledandri oversaw the acquisition of Blue Sky Studios, transforming it into a major producer of animated features. He supervised and executive produced films such as "Ice Age," "Robots," "Ice Age: The Meltdown," and "Horton Hears a Who!" He also produced the animated shorts "Gone Nutty" and "No Time for Nuts," both nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. His work at Fox contributed to the evolution of mainstream animation.

Meledandri later founded Illumination, an animation studio co-owned by Universal Pictures. Illumination's first film, "Despicable Me," achieved significant box office success. Since then, Meledandri has produced 16 feature films, including the "Despicable Me" and "Minions" franchises, which together form one of the highest-grossing animated franchises. Other notable productions include "The Secret Life of Pets" franchise and "The Super Mario Bros. Movie," developed in collaboration with Nintendo. These films have collectively earned more than $11 billion at the global box office.

Meledandri has also worked with Universal and DreamWorks to revive the "Shrek" franchise. He served as executive producer on "Puss in Boots: The Last Wish" and co-produced "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" with Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto. Meledandri joined Nintendo's board of directors as an independent and non-executive outside director, providing guidance as the company expands its film development. He is also involved as a producer on "Shrek 5" for DreamWorks.

Meledandri's work has been recognized with several industry honors, including the David O. Selznick Achievement Award from the Producers Guild of America and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Visual Effects Society. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the category of Motion Pictures. Meledandri is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and serves on the board of trustees at The Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Connecticut.