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Christopher "Chris" Meledandri (born May 15, 1959) is the founder (2007) and CEO of Illumination Entertainment.
Works[]
Walt Disney Pictures[]
Main article: Walt Disney PicturesBefore joining Fox, Meledandri was president of Dawn Steel Pictures at Walt Disney Pictures, where he served as an executive producer of Cool Runnings.
20th Century Fox Animation[]
Main article: 20th Century Fox AnimationDuring his tenure, he produced Ever After: A Cinderella Story and helped Fox become a major player in the world of animated feature films. In 1998 he led Fox's acquisition of fledgling visual effects/commercial house Blue Sky Studios, which he built into a successful producer of animated features. He oversaw the creative and business operations of Blue Sky, now Fox's wholly owned CGI studio. While at the studio, Meledandri supervised and/or executive produced movies including Ice Age, Ice Age: The Meltdown, Robots, Alvin and the Chipmunks, The Simpsons Movie and Dr. Seuss Horton Hears a Who![1] He also produced two animated shorts, Gone Nutty and No Time For Nuts, both were nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film.
Illumination Entertainment[]
Meledandri left his post as President of 20th Century Fox Animation in early 2007 and founded Illumination Entertainment, an all audience film production company, financed by Universal Pictures. In 2010 Illumination released its first film, Despicable Me, and in 2011 Hop. Illumination most recently released a film version of Dr. Seuss' The Lorax, which continued the successful collaboration between Meledandri and Theodor (Dr. Seuss) Geisel's widow, Audrey.[2] Other upcoming projects include a sequel to Despicable Me (July 2013) and a franchise spinoff featuring the Minions (2014).
Personal[]
Meledandri was born in New York City. He is a member of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He attended Dartmouth College[2] and is a member of the board of trustees at The Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Connecticut.
Filmography[]
Film[]
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Quicksilver | associate producer |
| 1989 | Brothers in Arms | producer |
| 1990 | Opportunity Knocks | producer |
| 1993 | Fly by Night | executive producer |
| Swing Kids | executive producer | |
| Cool Runnings | executive producer | |
| Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit | co-executive producer | |
| 1994 | Trial by Jury | producer |
| 2002 | Ice Age | executive producer |
| 2005 | Robots | executive producer |
| 2006 | Ice Age: The Meltdown | executive producer |
| 2008 | Horton Hears a Who! | executive producer |
| 2009 | Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs | Special Thanks |
| 2010 | Despicable Me | producer |
| 2011 | Hop | producer |
| 2012 | The Lorax | producer |
| 2013 | Despicable Me 2 | producer |
| 2014 | Minions | producer |
| 2016 | The Secret Life of Pets | producer |