Chris Meledandri

Early life and education

Meledandri was born on May 15, 1959 in New York City to Roland Meledandri, a men's fashion designer, and Risha Meledandri, an activist, and grew up on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. His father was of Italian descent. Meledandri attended Dartmouth College.

Career

Early career and work at 20th Century Fox Animation

Meledandri's first job in the film industry came when he worked as an assistant to executive producer Daniel Melnick on the set of Footloose. Soon after Meledandri was hired by 20th Century Fox, where executives presumed that the success of Cool Runnings showcased Meledandri's ability to produce financially successful family films. After a series of collaborations with filmmaker John Hughes, Meledandri was placed in charge of 20th Century Fox Animation. One of the first films released under Meledandri's tutelage was the Don Bluth-directed animated science fiction film Titan A.E. (2000), a costly box office bomb whose failure almost caused him to be fired, and which caused Fox Animation Studios to be shut down.

1998–2007: Work at Blue Sky Studios

In 1998, Meledandri led Fox's acquisition of fledgling visual effects house Blue Sky Studios, which became a commercially successful production studio. He oversaw the creative and business operations of Blue Sky, which became wholly owned by Fox. While at the studio, Meledandri supervised and/or executive produced films including Ice Age (2002), Robots (2005), Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006) and Horton Hears a Who! (2008). He also produced two animated shorts, Gone Nutty (2002) and No Time for Nuts (2006); both were nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film.

2007–present: Work at Illumination

Meledandri left as President of 20th Century Fox Animation in early 2007, being replaced by Vanessa Morrison, and founded Illumination, an animation company that was co-owned by Universal Pictures, which fully financed and owned the films. Fox had attempted to retain Meledandri, but it was reported by the Los Angeles Times that Universal's offer of an ownership stake in Illumination had persuaded him to switch. Meledandri received a share of Illumination's box office earnings as part of his contract with Universal, and as of 2011, he also owned an undisclosed stake in the production company. In 2010, Illumination released its first film, Despicable Me, a box office success. Meledandri built a relationship with chairman of NBCUniversal Stephen Burke, who liked Meledandri's propensity for producing animated films on a relatively low budget. Illumination released a film version of Dr. Seuss' The Lorax, which continued the successful collaboration between Meledandri and the Dr. Seuss estate. He also produced all of ''Despicable Me'''s various sequels and spin-offs.

2016–present: Work with DreamWorks Animation and Nintendo

On April 28, 2016, NBCUniversal announced its intent to acquire Illumination's competitor studio DreamWorks Animation for $3.8 billion. It was announced that Meledandri would at the time oversee both Illumination and DreamWorks following the completion of the acquisition. However, it was later announced that Meledandri had declined to oversee DreamWorks, and would instead be a consultant at the studio. On November 6, 2018, it was announced that Meledandri would be collaborating with Universal and DreamWorks to revive the Shrek franchise. Meledandri intends, however, to retain the original voice actors, as he believes they were perhaps the most memorable parts of the series. The first film in this collaboration, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, in which Meledandri served as executive producer, was released in December 2022 to critical acclaim and commercial success.

In January 2018, Nintendo announced during a fiscal meeting that Illumination would be developing an animated Mario film and that Meledandri would co-produce the film with Super Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto. On July 5, 2021, it was reported that Meledandri would join Nintendo's board of directors "as an independent and non-executive outside director" to advise Nintendo as the company develops more films under Nintendo Pictures.

Meledandri will serve as a producer on Shrek 5 for DreamWorks, set for release on June 30, 2027.

Personal life

Meledandri is a member of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and is a member of the board of trustees at The Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Connecticut.

Meledandri was married to Leslie Benziger from 2002 to 2016. He has two sons, born in 1990 and 1998.

Filmography

Feature films

References

References

1. (April 4, 2023). ["Shigeru Miyamoto Explains Why This 'Super Mario Bros.' Movie Lives Up to Fan Expectations"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-q62SLpZgTc). [[Variety (magazine).
3. (April 3, 2011). "For Illumination Entertainment, Animation Meets Economic Reality".
4. Tartaglione, Nancy. (June 20, 2022). "Illumination's Chris Meledandri Talks 'Minions', Streaming Vs Theatrical, Chris Pratt For 'Super Mario' & Facing Fear Of Failure: CineEurope".
5. Archibald, Sophia. (May 10, 2011). "In nod to other famous alum., Meledandri produces 'Lorax'". [[The Dartmouth]].
6. (January 6, 2014). "Chris Meledandri, the man who has made millions from Minions".
7. (January 18, 2007). "Universal Pictures Lures Chris Meledandri From 20th Century Fox Animation".
8. (December 9, 2016). "Illumination's Chris Meledandri Talks Success Secrets, Rumors He'll Head DreamWorks". The Hollywood Reporter.
9. (January 19, 2007). "Head of Fox animation division signs with rival Universal Studios".
10. (April 28, 2016). "Comcast's NBCUniversal buys DreamWorks Animation in $3.8-billion deal".
11. Lang, Brett. (November 6, 2018). "'Shrek,' 'Puss in Boots' Getting Rebooted (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety.
12. Lang, Brent. (November 6, 2018). "How Chris Meledandri Became the Most Powerful Man in Animation". Variety.
13. (September 12, 2017). "In Dismal Summer, 'Despicable Me 3' Producer Delivers $1 Billion".
14. D'Alessandro, Anthony. (April 25, 2022). "''Puss In Boots'' Takes Over 'Super Mario' Christmas 2022 Release Date". [[Penske Media Corporation]].
15. (9 July 2024). "''Shrek 5'' Set for 2026 with Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy and Cameron Diaz Returning".
16. D'Alessandro, Anthony. (August 11, 2025). "'Shrek 5' Moves To Summer 2027, Untitled Illumination Event Pic Going Earlier".
17. "LESLIE BENZIGER VS CHRISTOPHER MELEDANDRI".
18. S. Cohen, David. (October 26, 2013). "Chris Meledandri: Event Films Are Cannibalizing Each Other". Variety.
19. Mike Fleming. (July 23, 2012). "Illumination And Universal Hatch 'Despicable Me' Spinoff About The Minions".
20. Fleming, Mike Jr.. (January 24, 2014). "Chris Meledandri's Illumination Sets Louis C.K., Eric Stonestreet And Kevin Hart For 3D Animated 'Pets' Pic At Universal". Deadline.
21. Bond, Paul. (September 11, 2013). "Steve Burke: NBC's Ratings Woes Hurting Revenues". The Hollywood Reporter.
22. Kroll, Justin. (October 8, 2013). "Universal, Illumination to reboot 'The Grinch'". Variety.
23. Mandell, Andrea. (August 2, 2016). "Get Ready for 'Secret Life of Pets 2'". USA Today.
24. (March 15, 2022). "'Puss in Boots: The Last Wish' Trailer Recounts the Nine Lives of the Leche Whisperer".
25. Nintendo of America. (January 31, 2018). "Nintendo and Illumination are partnering on a movie starring Mario, co-produced by Shigeru Miyamoto and Chris Meledandri!".
26. (15 September 2025). "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie - Release Date, Cast, Everything We Know So Far".
27. D'Alessandro, Anthony. (July 11, 2024). "Universal Sets Illumination’s 'Minions 3' For Independence Day 2027 Frame; Franchise Nearing $5B Global".
28. (July 9, 2024). "''Shrek 5'' Set for 2026 with Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy and Cameron Diaz Returning".