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Pete Docter

Pete Docter

Producer, writer, actor and director · Born October 9, 1968 (58) · Bloomington, Minnesota, USA

3 Oscars · 4 BAFTA Awards · 2 other major award bodies

Peter Hans Docter (born October 9, 1968) is an American filmmaker and animator who has served as Pixar's chief creative officer (CCO)  since 2018. He has directed the company's animated films Monsters, Inc. (2001), Up (2009), Inside Out (2015), and Soul (2020). From his nine Academy Award nominations, he is a record-three-time recipient of Best Animated Feature for Up, Inside Out and Soul. Docter has also won six Annie Awards from nine nominations, a BAFTA Children's Film Award and a Hochi Film Award. He describes himself as a "geeky kid from Minnesota who likes to draw cartoons". Description above from the Wikipedia article Pete Docter, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
October 9, 1968 (58)
From
Bloomington, Minnesota, USA
Works as
Producer, writer, actor and director
Titles
45 on MovieCove · 64 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 9% in 30 days

What are Pete Docter's films like?

Across their 42 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Animation31 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 88th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Animation movies
Documentary6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 75th percentile
: 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
Bonds
38%
Self
32%
Society
12%
Ideas
11%
Survival
3%
Power
2%
Morality
1%
Friendship15 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds14 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity11 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity9 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age8 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose8 titles, browse their movies with this themeArt5 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty5 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 37 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 33 · Serious 4 · Dark 0

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

Grounded 8 · Stylized 19 · Heightened 10

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

Gentle 20 · Charged 17 · Intense 0

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

Steady 26 · Shifting 10 · Whiplash 1

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

Straight-faced 6 · Some laughs 17 · Funny 14

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

Slow burn 17 · Even-paced 19 · Relentless 1

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

Casual 32 · Engaged 5 · Full focus 0

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

Resolved 36 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

1 analyzed role

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
28
Warm
25
Hopeful
16
Contemplative
14
Absurd
7
Other
27

How their films linger

Feel-good28 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful25 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCozy3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy30
  • Bittersweet10
  • Ambiguous1
  • Cyclical1

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 Pete Docter's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 42 of their 45 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Disney+ (42).

Subscription and free streaming for Pete Docter'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

64 credits, 45 with a MovieCove page; 20 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Coco 2 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2029)

    Executive Producer

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

    Executive Producer

  • Ghost Market (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2028)

    Executive Producer

  • Gatto (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2027)

    Executive Producer

  • The X Protocol(2026)

    Show 1 episode · Animation

  • Toy Story 5(2026)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Hoppers(2026)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Elio(2025)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Win or Lose(2025)

    Show 8 episodes · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows

  • Dream Productions(2024)

    Show 4 episodes · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all shows

  • Inside Out 2(2024)

    Executive Producer · as Dad's Anger (voice)

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Carl's Date(2023)

    Characters · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Elemental(2023)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Cars on the Road(2022)

    Show 9 episodes · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all shows

  • Lightyear(2022)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Pete (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Thanks

  • Turning Red(2022)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Pixar 2021 Disney+ Day Special (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Director · as Self

  • Ciao Alberto(2021)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Pixar Remix: Monsters, Inc. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Original Story

  • Dug Days(2021)

    Show 5 episodes · Characters · Creator · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all shows

  • Monsters at Work(2021)

    Show 10 episodes · Thanks

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all shows

  • Luca(2021)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • 22 vs. Earth(2021)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Soul, Improvised (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Actor

  • Pixar Remix: Up (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Original Story

  • Pixar Popcorn(2021)

    Show Producer

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all shows

  • Soul(2020)

    Director · Screenplay · Story

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Dory's Reef Cam(2020)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films

  • Onward(2020)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Lamp Life(2020)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Forky Asks a Question (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Show 10 episodes · Executive Producer

  • Toy Story 4(2019)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Kitbull (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Thanks

  • Bao(2018)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Lou(2017)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Riley's First Date?(2015)

    Executive Producer · as Dad's Anger (voice)

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Lava(2014)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Inside Out(2015)

    Director · Original Story · Screenplay · as Additional Voices (voice)

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Party Central(2013)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Monsters University(2013)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Brave(2012)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Dug's Special Mission(2009)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Partly Cloudy(2009)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Up(2009)

    Director · Screenplay · Story · as Campmaster Strauch (voice)

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Up: Upisodes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Show Creator

  • George and A.J.(2009)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Presto(2008)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • WALL·E(2008)

    Original Story · as Additional Voices (voice)

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Mr. Incredible and Pals(2005)

    as Mr. Incredible (voice)

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • The Incredibles(2004)

    as Additional Voices (voice)

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Mike's New Car(2002)

    Director · Producer · Story

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Monsters, Inc.(2001)

    Director · Original Story · as Additional Voices (voice)

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins(2000)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • Toy Story 2(1999)

    Original Story

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Geri's Game(1997)

    Animation

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Toy Story(1995)

    Original Story · Storyboard Artist · Supervising Animator

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Next Door (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Director · Animation · Composer

  • Palm Springs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Director · Animation · as Sigmond Dinosaur (voice)

  • Winter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Director · Animation · Producer · Writer · as Voice (voice)

  • Inside Out 3 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Executive Producer

  • Loving Dory (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Executive Producer

  • Monsters, Inc. 3 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Executive Producer

  • Untitled Pixar Musical (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Executive Producer

Career shape

A full career of 61 titles, 53 of them dated from 1988 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Inside Out 2 (2024)

$1.7B worldwide

Highest rated

Up (2009)

Midcredits 99th

Most popular right now

Toy Story 5 (2026)

Film career

MilestoneAward winNomination
  • 1988Screen debut· Winter
  • 1988First top-billed film· Winter
  • 2001BAFTA Award win· Monsters, Inc.
  • 2008Career best· WALL·E
  • 2008Oscar nomination· WALL·E
  • 2009Oscar win· Up
Show 1 more milestone

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting11 of 61: 3 only acting, 8 with another role · typical Midcredits score98thDirecting9 of 61: 1 only directing, 8 with another role · typical Midcredits score99thWriting13 of 61: 3 only writing, 10 with another role · typical Midcredits score99thProducing37 of 61: 31 only producing, 6 with another role · typical Midcredits score83rdMusic1 of 61: 0 only music, 1 with another roleOther crew14 of 61: 9 only other crew, 5 with another role · typical Midcredits score97th

61 titles, 14 with more than one role — producing and other crew overlap on 2 of them.

By decade

1980s2 · 2 acting · 2 crew1990s4 · crew2000s10 · 5 acting · 8 crew2010s11 · 2 acting · 11 crew2020s26 · 2 acting · 25 crew

Billing

usually 11th · top billed in 20% of 10 roles
8808

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. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

Awards

3 Oscars, 4 BAFTA Awards and 1 other major award from 18 major nominations, 1996–2021.

WinNomination
  1. 2021
    • Oscar, won · Best Animated Feature Film
    • BAFTA Award, won · Best Animated Feature Film
  2. 2016
    • Oscar, won · Best Animated Feature Film of the Year
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Writing, Original Screenplay
    • BAFTA Award, won · Best Animated Film
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Original Screenplay
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Original Screenplay
  3. 2010
    • Oscar, won · Best Animated Feature Film of the Year
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Writing, Original Screenplay
    • BAFTA Award, won · Best Animated Film
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Screenplay - Original
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Screenplay, Original
  4. 2009
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Writing, Original Screenplay
    • +1 other major body · 1 win
      • Venice award, won
  5. 2003
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Short Film, Animated
  6. 2002
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Animated Feature
    • BAFTA Award, won · Best Feature Film
  7. 1996
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen

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 Pete Docter's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 89th percentile, the median of all 38; across their 37 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 82nd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

82ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 37

Approval · how many liked their films

80thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 37

Reach · how many have seen their films

89thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 37

Midcredits score across 44 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up32
  • 50th to 74th7
  • 25th to 49th4
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

21 of their 44 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved16
  • Divisive1
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser21
  • Broadly Agreed4
  • Mixed1

Most divisive · producer

Dory's Reef Cam (2020)

93rd percentile spread · 55% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor, director, writer

Up (2009)

Midcredits 99th · 92% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 63/100 and the plot and story 51/100 in their films, across 30 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.

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 Pete Docter's work okay for kids?

Across up to 25 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity, profanity and alcohol & drugs run lighter than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore23 titles12–38 · median 28 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity25 titles6–29 · median 15 · minimallighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity23 titles3–22 · median 11 · minimallighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs22 titles4–13 · median 8 · minimallighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense23 titles27–52 · median 35 · 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 Pete Docter work with?

People who share at least 2 of Pete Docter's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; John Lasseter shares the most, 16.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles