Chris Sanders facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chris Sanders
Sanders at the 2014 Golden Globe Awards
Born	Christopher Michael Sanders (1962-03-12) March 12, 1962 (age 63) Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S.
Alma mater	California Institute of the Arts (BFA)
Occupation	Film director screenwriter producer animator illustrator voice actor
Years active	1984–present
Employer	Walt Disney Animation Studios (1988–2007) DreamWorks Animation (2007–present) Walt Disney Pictures (2025–present)
Spouse(s)	Jessica Steele-Sanders ​ (m. 2015)​
Children	1
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Chris Sanders, born Christopher Michael Sanders on March 12, 1962, is an American filmmaker, animator, and voice actor. He is famous for co-directing and co-writing popular animated movies like Lilo & Stitch (2002) and How to Train Your Dragon (2010). He also directed The Croods (2013) and The Wild Robot (2024).

Sanders created the beloved character Stitch in 1985. He also voices Stitch in almost all of his appearances. In 2020, he directed his first live-action movie, The Call of the Wild.

Early Life and Dreams

Chris Sanders was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado. From a young age, he loved comic strips and making movies. He was also very interested in animation.

He was the only one of his three siblings to use his dad's Super 8 film camera. His father encouraged his drawing, and Chris started making his own comics. He became interested in animation when he learned about the camera's single-frame feature.

Sanders went to Arvada High School in Colorado. He wanted to take art classes, but the art teacher told him that "Comics aren't art." Despite this, he later attended the California Institute of the Arts and graduated in 1984.

Amazing Animation Career

Working at Disney

Chris Sanders created the character Stitch and has voiced him in many movies and shows.

Chris Sanders started his career designing characters for Jim Henson's Muppet Babies. He then became a lead storyboard artist at Walt Disney Animation Studios. He worked on many famous Disney films. These include Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, and Mulan. He helped with storyboards, art direction, and character design.

In 1985, Sanders created a character named "Stitch" for a children's book idea that didn't get picked up. Years later, Disney's CEO, Michael Eisner, wanted to make a smaller, less expensive animated film. Sanders was asked to pitch an idea. He brought back his "Stitch" character. The story needed a remote place, so Sanders chose Kauaʻi, Hawaii.

Stitch became the main character of the 2002 film Lilo & Stitch. Sanders co-directed and co-wrote this movie with Dean DeBlois. He also voiced Stitch in the film. Lilo & Stitch was a big success. It led to a whole franchise with sequel films and TV series. Sanders continued to voice Stitch in most of these projects. He even voiced Stitch in video games like Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep and the Disney Infinity series.

Around 2006, Sanders was working on a Disney film called American Dog. However, he was later removed from the project. The film was then renamed Bolt. Sanders said he understood the changes and hoped to use his ideas in the future. He still voices Stitch for Disney, even after leaving the company.

Moving to DreamWorks

In March 2007, Chris Sanders joined DreamWorks Animation. He took over as director for a project called Crood Awakening, which later became The Croods. He was excited to try new things in animation.

On September 24, 2008, it was announced that Sanders and Dean DeBlois would write and direct How to Train Your Dragon. The movie came out on March 26, 2010. It was a huge hit with both critics and audiences. It earned almost $500 million worldwide. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. It also won ten Annie Awards, including Best Animated Feature.

After How to Train Your Dragon, Sanders went back to The Croods. It was released on March 22, 2013. He shared directing and writing credits with Kirk DeMicco. This film also did very well, making over $500 million. Sanders and DeMicco worked on a sequel for The Croods for a few years. The sequel, The Croods: A New Age, was released later with a new director. Sanders and DeMicco were credited for the story. Sanders also voiced the character Belt in the movie.

Back to Disney and New Projects

In October 2017, Chris Sanders was announced as the director for a new movie. It was an adaptation of the 1903 novel The Call of the Wild by Jack London. This was his first time directing a live-action film by himself. The movie was released in February 2020.

In April 2023, it was confirmed that Sanders would voice Stitch again. This was for the live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch. The movie was released in 2025 and earned over $1 billion globally. Sanders spent many hours recording Stitch's voice for the film.

In September 2023, Sanders returned to DreamWorks Animation. He wrote and directed an animated film based on Peter Brown's book series The Wild Robot. The movie was released in September 2024 and received great reviews. In October 2024, Sanders confirmed he would direct a sequel to The Wild Robot.

In July 2025, it was reported that Chris Sanders would write the script for the sequel to the live-action Lilo & Stitch movie.

Personal Life

Chris Sanders married author Jessica Steele-Sanders on May 18, 2015, in Hawaii. They wrote an illustrated novel together called Rescue Sirens: The Search for the Atavist (2015). Sanders also used to draw a webcomic called Kiskaloo.

Filmography

Movies

Animation Team

Executive Producer

• How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014)
• How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019)
• How to Train Your Dragon (2025)

Voice Acting Roles

Television Shows

Voice Actor

Video Games

Awards and Nominations

Chris Sanders has been recognized for his work with many awards and nominations.