Tony Leondis facts for kids

Anthony Leondis (born March 24, 1972) is an American animator, filmmaker, and voice actor. He is known for directing animated movies like The Emoji Movie, Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch, and Igor. He also worked on a film for DreamWorks Animation called B.O.O.: Bureau of Otherworldly Operations, which was not released.

Animation Career

Anthony Leondis, often called Tony, studied at CalArts, a famous art school. His professor, Brenda Chapman, helped him get an internship. This was for a film called The Prince of Egypt. After six months, he became a full-time story artist on that movie.

Early Work and Directing Debut

Tony Leondis began his career as a story artist. He helped create the visual stories for films. These included The Prince of Egypt and The Lion King II: Simba's Pride. Later, he joined DisneyToon Studios. There, he helped write the script for Kronk's New Groove.

Leondis directed his first movie in 2005. It was Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch. In 2008, he directed his first animated movie for cinemas. This film was Igor.

Working with DreamWorks Animation

Starting in 2009, Leondis directed a ghost-themed animated movie at DreamWorks Animation. He first suggested the idea as a school story called BOO U. Over the years, the story changed a lot.

Leondis also directed a short film for Kung Fu Panda. It was called Secrets of the Masters. By 2012, his ghost film had a new name. It was B.O.O. Otherworldly Operations Office. The movie then began its pre-production phase. Leondis directed this version of the film. Ryan O'Loughlin joined him as a co-director.

The film was later titled B.O.O.: Bureau of Otherworldly Operations. It was based on Leondis's original idea. The movie was planned for release in 2015. However, by late 2014, DreamWorks removed it from their schedule. The studio decided not to release the film. They also closed Pacific Data Images, a studio helping to animate it. Reports said the film was 60% animated when it was stopped. By 2015, Leondis left DreamWorks. The B.O.O. movie was never finished.

The Emoji Movie

In 2017, Leondis directed and co-wrote The Emoji Movie. This animated film was made by Sony Pictures Animation. Leondis presented his idea for the film to the studio. He wrote the script with Eric Siegel. A producer named Tripp Vinson said that many studios thought Emoji Movie could become a series of films.

Leondis stated that Emoji Movie had a very fast production. Sony wanted to release it quickly. This was because cell phones change fast. They did not want the movie to seem old. Also, no one owned the rights to an emoji movie. So, any studio could make one. Leondis said they had very little time to check if the movie worked well.

The film was released on July 28, 2017. It earned a lot of money at the box office. However, many critics did not like it. Leondis won two Razzie Awards. These awards are given to the worst films. He won for Worst Director and Worst Screenplay. He shared the screenplay award with Eric Siegel and Mike White. This made Leondis the first animation director to win these awards. Leondis has not been very active in the entertainment industry since then. But he still makes public appearances sometimes. His most recent appearance was at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards.

Personal Life

Anthony Leondis has Greek family roots. His father was a Greek Orthodox priest.

Filmography

Film Work

Television Work

Awards and Nominations