Phil Lord and Christopher Miller facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Phil Lord and Christopher Miller
Lord (left) and Miller (right) at the 2018 San Diego Comic-Con
Born	Philip Anderson Lord (1975-07-12) July 12, 1975 (age 50) Miami, Florida, U.S. Christopher Robert Miller (1975-09-23) September 23, 1975 (age 49) Everett, Washington, U.S.
Alma mater	Dartmouth College
Occupation	Writers voice actors actors directors producers
Years active	1998–present
Spouse(s)	Robyn Murgio (Miller)
Children	2 (Miller)
Awards	Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

Philip Lord and Christopher Miller are an American filmmaking team. They are known for making movies that are visually exciting and often twist what you expect from a story. They work on both live-action and animated films.

They helped create and star in the animated TV show Clone High (2002–2003, 2023–2024). They also wrote and directed the animated movies Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009) and The Lego Movie (2014). For live-action, they directed the comedy films 21 Jump Street (2012) and its sequel, 22 Jump Street (2014).

Lord and Miller are famous for their work on the Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, The Lego Movie, and Spider-Verse film series. They won an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018). They were also nominated for the same award for producing the sequel, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023).

They have also worked on TV shows like The Last Man on Earth (2015–2018) and Unikitty! (2017–2020). More recently, they worked on The Afterparty (2022–2023) for Apple TV+.

Early Life and College Days

Lord grew up in Miami, Florida. His mother was a psychologist, and his father worked in aviation and directed a dance company. Miller is from Seattle, Washington, where his father runs a lumber mill.

Both Lord and Miller loved making short films and animation when they were young. They met at Dartmouth College. They each had their own comic strips in the school newspaper, The Dartmouth.

While at Dartmouth, a newspaper story about Miller caught the eye of Michael Eisner, who was then the head of Disney. Miller agreed to meet with Disney executives, but only if Lord could come too. After a few months, they moved to Los Angeles. They were offered a two-year deal to develop ideas for Walt Disney Television Animation.

Their Creative Journey

Starting in the 2000s

Even though their early ideas for Disney didn't become TV shows, they created a pilot episode for Clone High. This show was first dropped by Fox. Later, MTV decided to order a full season of Clone High. The show was well-liked by critics. However, it was canceled after some protests in India about how a character based on Gandhi was shown.

In 2003, Lord and Miller were asked to write the script for Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. This was their first big movie project. They worked on the script for a year but were then replaced by other writers. After another year, those writers were also replaced. Lord and Miller were hired back in 2006.

They completely rewrote the script, working closely with their team. The new story was about an inventor who wanted to prove himself. They almost got fired again because Amy Pascal, a head at Sony Pictures, felt the story needed a stronger emotional connection. To fix this, they made the main character's father a more important part of the story.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs came out in 2009 and received good reviews.

Success in the 2010s

Miller and Lord at the 2015 WonderCon.

After Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Lord and Miller wanted to try something different. They suggested they could direct the movie 21 Jump Street. The studio agreed, and they directed their first live-action film. It was very popular, which led to the sequel 22 Jump Street.

During the making of 21 Jump Street, they shared an idea for a Lego movie with producer Dan Lin. Lin and Warner Bros. loved their idea. So, Lord and Miller wrote and directed The Lego Movie, their third movie together.

Warner Bros. also chose them to write the story for the superhero film The Flash. However, they decided to leave that project to direct a Star Wars movie about Han Solo, which was later called Solo: A Star Wars Story.

In 2015, Sony Pictures Animation asked them to create an animated Spider-Man film. They had the option to direct it. This film became Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018), which they produced, and Lord helped write.

Lord and Miller also developed a TV show called Son of Zorn for Fox. They also produced a TV drama based on the popular podcast Serial.

In early 2017, Lord and Miller started directing Solo: A Star Wars Story. However, in June 2017, they left the project due to different ideas about how the film should be made. Ron Howard took over to finish the movie. Lord and Miller still received executive producer credits for their work on Solo: A Star Wars Story.

In November 2017, they spoke about leaving Solo. Lord said they were proud of their work and wished everyone well. Miller added that they were then working on a sequel to The Lego Movie and the animated Spider-Man film.

In August 2019, Lord and Miller made a deal with Universal Pictures to develop new projects.

Projects from 2020 to Today

In 2021, Lord and Miller produced two animated films released on Netflix. One was The Mitchells vs. the Machines for Sony Pictures Animation.

In June 2020, it was announced that Lord and Miller were developing an eight-episode TV series called The Afterparty for Apple TV+. This show is a comedy murder mystery set at a high school reunion. Each episode tells the story of the same night from a different character's point of view. Miller created and directed the series, and both he and Lord were executive producers. The series started in January 2022 and was praised by critics.

On November 1, 2019, it was announced that Lord and Miller would return as producers and writers for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. This movie was released on June 2, 2023. In December 2021, Lord and Miller shared that Across the Spider-Verse would be split into two parts because the story was too big for one film. The second part is now called Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse. Its release date is June 4, 2027.

In July 2020, MTV Entertainment Studios announced a new version of Clone High. Lord, Miller, and Bill Lawrence, the original creators, were involved. In February 2021, HBO Max ordered two seasons of the new Clone High, with the first season premiering on May 23, 2023.

As part of their deal with Universal Pictures, Lord and Miller have produced comedy films for the studio.

Future Projects

In April 2019, they made a five-year deal with Sony Pictures Television to develop animated Marvel series. This could include a series based on Into the Spider-Verse.

In May 2020, it was reported that Lord and Miller are set to direct a film based on Andy Weir's novel Project Hail Mary for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Ryan Gosling is expected to star in the movie. Filming began in June 2024 in the United Kingdom. The film is planned for release on March 20, 2026.

In October 2023, author Dennis E. Taylor announced that his Bobiverse book series might be adapted by Lord Miller Productions for Universal Pictures.

Other Creative Works

Lord co-wrote a Spider-Man Annual #1 comic, which was his first time writing a comic book. He and Miller also co-wrote a Marvel comic celebrating the company's 80th anniversary.

In September 2020, a live-action TV series based on the character Silk was announced. Lord and Miller are executive producers for this series. The show, called Silk: Spider Society, was ordered by MGM+ and Amazon Prime Video. However, in February 2024, the series was redeveloped, and in May 2024, Amazon dropped it. Sony is now looking for other places to air the show.

Lord and Miller also produced the Spanish-language drama film, Los Frikis.

Their Unique Style

Lord and Miller are known for their unique filmmaking style. Their movies often have bold visuals, lots of detail, and use improvisation. They like to use bright colors and exaggerated scenes.

Their films often explore themes of friendship, creativity, and being an outsider. They learned a lot about working together and showing emotion in their stories from their time on Clone High and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.

They use popular stories like LEGO, Jump Street, and Spider-Verse as a way to express their own ideas. Lord once said that they approach these projects as a chance to make something truly interesting and personal. Because of this, they are known for turning ideas that might seem simple into movies that are loved by critics and audiences. They are also seen as perfectionists because of their hands-on approach and how they like to improvise.

Lord and Miller have been influenced by many famous directors and animators. Some of their favorite films include The Wizard of Oz (1939), Star Wars (1977), and The Muppet Movie (1979).

Filmography

Movies They Made

Other Movie Contributions

Television Shows They Made

Acting Roles

Awards and Recognitions

See also

• Phil Lord and Christopher Miller's unrealized projects