Cory Edwards

Cory Edwards made his feature film debut with "Hoodwinked," but he had already built a long career as a filmmaker before that. Edwards has worked in almost every creative area of the business for more than 30 years, serving as a writer, director, producer, actor, animator, art director and editor. Since his childhood Super 8mm days, Edwards has been making movies. He began his professional career at a Tulsa production company, directing music videos and commercials.

After founding Blue Yonder Films in 1995, Edwards produced and acted in his brother Todd's feature debut, "Chillicothe," an official selection of the Sundance Film Festival. Soon after, Edwards and his brother pitched a Red Riding Hood crime story to a private investor, and "Hoodwinked" was born. Made entirely outside the studio system and for one-tenth the cost, the film was picked up by moguls Bob and Harvey Weinstein. Edwards worked with the voice talents of Glenn Close, Anne Hathaway, Chazz Palminteri and Jim Belushi, and he voiced the coffee-addicted squirrel Twitchy. He also wrote two of the songs for the soundtrack. "Hoodwinked" was one of the top-grossing movies during its theatrical release in spring 2006, and it grossed more than $150 million worldwide. It is still widely regarded as the most profitable animated film of all time.

Following the success of "Hoodwinked," Edwards has written its sequel, "Hoodwinked Too!: Hood vs. Evil," the sci-fi feature "Escape from Planet Earth," the fantasy adventure "Wish," the Smosh.com web series "Krogzilla Gets a Job," and many VeggieTales episodes. He has developed projects for industry figures including John Davis, producer of "Jungle Cruise" and "Predator"; Paul Schiff, producer of "Rushmore"; John Shestack, producer of "Air Force One"; Luc Besson, director of "The Fifth Element" and "Valerian"; and The Jim Henson Company, developing "Fraggle Rock: The Movie." Edwards wrote and directed "Fe@rleSS," an animated superhero comedy for Netflix, and he wrote the No. 1 Netflix feature, "Woody Woodpecker Goes to Camp." Edwards returned to live-action directing with the Christmas comedy, "All Is Merry and Bright."