Photo: Boungawa / CC BY-SA 3.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Meledandri is one of the few producers whose name I actually look for in animation credits, because his fingerprint is so consistent. He figured out the economics of animated comedy faster than almost anyone: tight budgets, broad humor, merchandisable side characters, and the Minions essentially became their own currency. You can argue Illumination's films lack the emotional ambition of Pixar, but that misses what he's doing. He builds reliable, four-quadrant crowd-pleasers that print money, and The Super Mario Bros. Movie proved he can adapt beloved IP without alienating fans. A genuine modern mogul of family entertainment.
Overview
Chris Meledandri (born May 15, 1959) is an American film producer and the founder and CEO of Illumination, an animation studio he established in 2007. He previously headed Twentieth Century Fox Animation, where he oversaw the Ice Age franchise. At Illumination he launched the hugely successful Despicable Me and Minions series, along with films such as The Lorax, The Secret Life of Pets, Sing and The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Chris Meledandri
- Name (Japanese)
- クリス・メレダンドリ
- Reading
- くりす・めれだんどり
- Born
- May 15, 1959 (age 67)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Taurus / Pig
- Origin
- New York City, New York, United States
- Occupation
- Film producer / Executive producer
2. Background
- University
- Dartmouth College
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Chris Meledandri born?
Born May 15, 1959 (age 67).
Where is Chris Meledandri from?
Chris Meledandri is from New York City, New York, United States.
What does Chris Meledandri do?
Chris Meledandri works as Film producer, Executive producer.
Film producer — see all → · Executive producer — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.