Skip to content
MovieCove
Brad Bird

Brad Bird

Director, writer, actor and producer · Born September 24, 1957 (69) · Kalispell, Montana, USA

2 Oscars · 3 BAFTA Awards · 1 other major award body

Philip Bradley Bird (born September 24, 1957) is an American filmmaker, animator, and voice actor. He has had a career spanning over four decades in both live-action and animation. Bird was born in Montana and grew up in Oregon. He developed an interest in the art of animation early on, and completed his first short subject by age 14. Bird sent the film to Walt Disney Productions, leading to an apprenticeship from the studio's Nine Old Men. He attended the California Institute of the Arts in the late 1970s, and worked for Disney shortly thereafter. In the 1980s, Bird worked in film development with various studios. He co-wrote Batteries Not Included (1987), and developed two episodes of Amazing Stories for Steven Spielberg, including its spin-off (based on a segment written by Bird for the show), the widely panned animated sitcom Family Dog. Afterwards, Bird joined the animated sitcom The Simpsons as creative consultant for eight seasons. He directed the animated film The Iron Giant (1999); though acclaimed, it was a box-office bomb. Bird moved to Pixar where he wrote and directed two successful animated films, The Incredibles (2004) and Ratatouille (2007). They earned Bird two Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature wins and Best Original Screenplay nominations. He transitioned to live-action filmmaking with similarly successful Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011), he then directed Disney's Tomorrowland (2015). He returned to Pixar to develop Incredibles 2 (2018), which became the second-highest-grossing animated film of all time during its theatrical run, and earned him another nomination for the Academy Award. In 2026, he is set to partner with Skydance Animation to direct Ray Gunn, a sci-fi noir film he’s wanted to make for over thirty years. Bird has a reputation for supervising his projects to a high degree of detail. He advocates for creative freedom and the possibilities of animation, and has criticized its stereotype as children's entertainment, or classification as a genre, rather than an art. Description above from the Wikipedia article Brad Bird, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
September 24, 1957 (69)
From
Kalispell, Montana, USA
Works as
Director, writer, actor and producer
Titles
23 on MovieCove · 33 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 36% in 30 days

What are Brad Bird's films like?

Across their 16 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Genres

Animation10 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 92nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Animation movies
Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 74th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Documentary2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 91st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
29%
Bonds
26%
Ideas
20%
Society
13%
Survival
8%
Morality
4%
Identity5 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds5 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeArt3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship3 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival2 titles, browse their movies with this themeTruth2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 15 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 13 · Serious 2 · Dark 0

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 2 · Stylized 6 · Heightened 7

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 5 · Charged 7 · Intense 3

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 8 · Shifting 7 · Whiplash 0

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 3 · Some laughs 7 · Funny 5

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 2 · Even-paced 9 · Relentless 4

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 8 · Engaged 6 · Full focus 1

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 13 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

2 analyzed roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
9
Warm
7
Tense
6
Hopeful
5
Absurd
4
Other
13

How their films linger

Fun7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy11
  • Bittersweet4
  • Ambiguous1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Brad Bird's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 16 of their 23 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Disney+ (13).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Brad Bird's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

33 credits, 23 with a MovieCove page; 20 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Incredibles 3 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2028)

    Executive Producer · Writer · as Edna Mode (voice)

  • Ray Gunn(2026)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay · Story · as Gunsol / Musker (voice)

  • Incredicoaster | Disneyland Resort (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Characters · as Edna Mode (voice)

  • Megalopolis(2024)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Werewolf by Night(2022)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Pixar Popcorn(2021)

    Show Writer

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all shows

  • Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical(2021)

    Original Film Writer

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Auntie Edna(2018)

    Executive Producer · Writer · as Edna Mode (voice)

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Incredibles 2(2018)

    Director · Writer · as Edna 'E' Mode / Additional Voices (voice)

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Jurassic World(2015)

    as Monorail Announcer (voice)

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Tomorrowland(2015)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay · Story

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Tomorrowland: The Origins of Plus Ultra (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Director

  • Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol(2011)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Partly Cloudy(2009)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Your Friend the Rat(2007)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Ratatouille(2007)

    Director · Screenplay · Story · as Ambrister Minion (voice)

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • More Making of 'The Incredibles' (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Executive Producer · as Self

  • One Man Band(2005)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Jack-Jack Attack(2005)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Mr. Incredible and Pals(2005)

    Executive Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Vowellet - An Essay by Sarah Vowell (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Executive Producer

  • The Incredibles(2004)

    Director · Writer · as Edna 'E' Mode (voice)

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • The Iron Giant(1999)

    Director · Screenstory

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Amazing Stories: The Movie III (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Director · Writer · as Family Dog (voice)

  • Family Dog (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Show Director · Creator

  • The Simpsons(1989)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • *batteries not included(1987)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Amazing Stories(1985)

    Show 2 episodes · Director · Writer · as Family Dog (Voice) · as Scientist #2

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all shows

  • The Plague Dogs(1982)

    Animation

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Animalympics(1980)

    Animation

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Doctor of Doom (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    as Don Carlo's Voice/Bystander's Voice

  • Tortoise and the Hare (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Director

  • Surf Wars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Animation

Career shape

A full career of 32 titles, 30 of them dated from 1978 to 2025.

Biggest box office

Incredibles 2 (2018)

$1.2B worldwide

Highest rated

Ratatouille (2007)

Midcredits 99th

Film career

MilestoneAward winNomination

Top draw in 1 MovieCove title.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting11 of 32: 2 only acting, 9 with another role · typical Midcredits score89thDirecting14 of 32: 4 only directing, 10 with another role · typical Midcredits score93rdWriting14 of 32: 2 only writing, 12 with another role · typical Midcredits score81stProducing9 of 32: 4 only producing, 5 with another role · typical Midcredits score80thOther crew7 of 32: 6 only other crew, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score85th

32 titles, 14 with more than one role — directing and writing overlap on 9 of them.

By decade

1970s3 · 1 acting · 2 crew1980s5 · 1 acting · 5 crew1990s3 · 1 acting · 3 crew2000s9 · 2 acting · 9 crew2010s6 · 3 acting · 5 crew2020s4 · 1 acting · 4 crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

Awards

2 Oscars, 3 BAFTA Awards and 1 other major award from 10 major nominations, 2000–2019.

WinNomination
  1. 2019
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Animated Feature Film
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Animated Featured Film
  2. 2008
    • Oscar, won · Best Animated Feature Film of the Year
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Writing, Original Screenplay
    • BAFTA Award, won · Best Animated Film
    • +1 other major body · 1 win
      • Writers Guild Award, won
  3. 2005
    • Oscar, won · Best Animated Feature Film of the Year
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Writing, Original Screenplay
    • BAFTA Award, won · Best Feature Film
  4. 2000
    • BAFTA Award, won · Best Feature Film

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Brad Bird's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 86th percentile, the median of the 19 of 20 with a score; across their 15 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 89th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

89thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Approval · how many liked their films

92ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Reach · how many have seen their films

89thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Midcredits score across 22 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up14
  • 50th to 74th6
  • 25th to 49th1
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

10 of their 22 titles are Universally Loved.

  • Universally Loved10
  • Divisive1
  • Crowd Pleaser8
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed2

Most divisive · writer

Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical (2021)

95th percentile spread · 34% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor, director, writer

Ratatouille (2007)

Midcredits 99th · 91% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 72/100 and the pacing 65/100 in their films, across 11 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Brad Bird's work okay for kids?

Across up to 8 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity runs lighter than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore7 titles30–52 · median 40 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity8 titles8–28 · median 21 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity7 titles12–38 · median 33 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs7 titles18–32 · median 26 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense7 titles33–54 · median 46 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Brad Bird work with?

People who share at least 2 of Brad Bird's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Michael Giacchino shares the most, 9.

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles