Chris Renaud is a renowned animation director who has made a significant impact in the industry with his work on several blockbuster films. He co-created the beloved Minion characters alongside Pierre Coffin and Eric Guillon, and has directed the Despicable Me and The Secret Life of Pets franchises, which have collectively grossed over $1.3 billion worldwide.
Renaud's journey in animation began in the comic book world, where he worked at Marvel and DC Comics from 1994 to 2000. He then transitioned to animation production design at Shadow Projects and Big Big Productions before joining Blue Sky Studios/20th Century Fox Animation. During his time at Blue Sky, he worked as a story artist on projects such as Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! and Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs.
In 2006, Renaud conceived, wrote, and storyboarded the animated short No Time for Nuts, which featured the popular Ice Age character Scrat. The short film received an Academy Award nomination for Best Short Film, Animated, and earned Renaud an Annie Award for Best Animated Short Subject.
Renaud's collaboration with producer Christopher Meledandri at Illumination Entertainment began in 2007, when he was brought on board to direct the company's first project, Despicable Me. The film was a massive success, grossing over $251 million at the domestic box office and becoming one of the highest-grossing movies of 2010. Renaud went on to direct Dr. Seuss' The Lorax and Despicable Me 2, both of which were sizable hits and combined to gross over $1.3 billion worldwide.
Renaud's current project is The Secret Life of Pets 2, which is set to be released in the summer of 2019.
