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Chris Sanders

Chris Sanders

Actor, writer, director and producer · Born March 12, 1962 (64) · Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA

Oscar nominee · BAFTA Award nominee · 2 other major award bodies

Christopher Michael Sanders (born March 12, 1962) is an American filmmaker, animator, and voice actor. His credits include Lilo & Stitch (2002) and its live-action adaptation and How to Train Your Dragon (2010), both of which he co-wrote and directed with Dean DeBlois; The Croods (2013) with Kirk DeMicco; and The Wild Robot (2024), receiving nominations for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature for all of them. In 2020, he made his live-action directorial debut with the adventure drama The Call of the Wild. He created the character Stitch in 1985, wrote the film's story, and voiced Stitch in almost all his media appearances. Description above from the Wikipedia article Chris Sanders, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
March 12, 1962 (64)
From
Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA
Works as
Actor, writer, director and producer
Titles
33 on MovieCove · 44 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

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

What are Chris Sanders' films like?

Across their 19 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Animation14 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 95th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Animation movies
Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 83rd percentile
: browse their Action 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
49%
Self
23%
Morality
9%
Society
8%
Survival
5%
Ideas
4%
Power
3%
Family bonds12 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption5 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love2 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 17 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 4 · Dark 0

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

Grounded 0 · Stylized 12 · Heightened 5

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

Gentle 5 · Charged 12 · Intense 0

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

Steady 7 · Shifting 9 · Whiplash 1

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

Straight-faced 1 · Some laughs 11 · Funny 5

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

Slow burn 1 · Even-paced 15 · 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 13 · Engaged 4 · Full focus 0

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

Resolved 17 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

9 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 5 of 9 analyzed roles.

Hero
5 of 9
Shapeshifter
2 of 9
Trickster
2 of 9
Show the 9 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
12
Thrilling
9
Hopeful
7
Warm
6
Tense
5
Other
16

How their films linger

Feel-good13 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful14 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy15
  • Bittersweet4

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 Chris Sanders' films?

As of October 24, 2026, 28 of their 33 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Disney+ (17).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Chris Sanders' 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

44 credits, 33 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • Lilo & Stitch 2 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2028)

    Director · Writer · as Stitch (voice)

  • How to Train Your Dragon 2 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2027)

    Executive Producer

  • Lilo & Scratch (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    as Stitch (voice)

  • The Bad Guys 2(2025)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • How to Train Your Dragon(2025)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Lilo & Stitch(2025)

    Original Film Writer · as Stitch (voice)

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • The Wild Robot(2024)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Once Upon a Studio(2023)

    as Stitch (voice) (archive sound)

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Puss in Boots: The Last Wish(2022)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Disney How NOT to Draw(2022)

    Show 1 episode · as Stitch (voice)

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all shows

  • The Croods: Family Tree(2021)

    Show Creator · Writer

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all shows

  • The Croods: A New Age(2020)

    Characters · Story · as Belt (voice)

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • The Call of the Wild(2020)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

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

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • The Boss Baby(2017)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Dawn of the Croods(2015)

    Show 2 episodes · as Additional Voices (voice) · as Belt (voice)

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all shows

  • Penguins of Madagascar(2014)

    as Antarctic Penguin (voice)

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • How to Train Your Dragon 2(2014)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • The Croods(2013)

    Director · Screenplay · Story · as Belt (voice)

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Dragons: Riders of Berk(2012)

    Show Creator

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • How to Train Your Dragon(2010)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Stitch! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Show 26 episodes · Creator

  • Leroy & Stitch(2006)

    Characters · as Stitch / Leroy (voice)

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • The Origin of Stitch(2005)

    Characters · as Stitch (voice)

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch(2005)

    Characters · as Stitch (voice)

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • The Lion King 1½(2004)

    as Additional Voices (voice)

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • The Story Room: The Making of 'Lilo & Stitch' (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Director · as Self

  • Timon & Pumbaa Virtual Safari 2.0 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    as Experiment 626 / Stitch (voice) (archive footage)

  • Lilo & Stitch: The Series(2003)

    Show 67 episodes · Characters · Creator · as Stitch (voice)

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all shows

  • Stitch! The Movie(2003)

    Characters · as Stitch (voice)

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Lilo & Stitch Read-Along (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    as Stitch (voice)

  • Lilo & Stitch(2002)

    Director · Character Designer · Idea · Writer · as Stitch (voice)

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Tarzan(1999)

    as Additional Voices (voice)

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Mulan(1998)

    Screenplay · Story Supervisor

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Agent Z and the Penguin from Mars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Show 1 episode · as Park Keeper

  • Toy Story(1995)

    Character Designer

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • The Lion King(1994)

    Production Design · Story

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Aladdin(1992)

    Story

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Beauty and the Beast(1991)

    Story · Visual Development

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • The Rescuers Down Under(1990)

    Storyboard · Visual Development

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Garfield: His 9 Lives(1988)

    Other

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Toby the Badly Animated Boy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Director

  • Fun with Father (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Director · Animation · Writer

  • The Wild Robot Escapes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Executive Producer · Screenplay

Career shape

A full career of 44 titles, 40 of them dated from 1983 to 2025.

Biggest box office

Lilo & Stitch (2025)

$1B worldwide

Highest rated

The Lion King (1994)

Midcredits 99th

Most popular right now

The Wild Robot (2024)

Film career

MilestoneNomination

Top draw in 2 MovieCove titles.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting20 of 44: 10 only acting, 10 with another role · typical Midcredits score65thDirecting9 of 44: 3 only directing, 6 with another role · typical Midcredits score94thWriting19 of 44: 2 only writing, 17 with another role · typical Midcredits score78thProducing5 of 44: 4 only producing, 1 with another roleOther crew14 of 44: 8 only other crew, 6 with another role · typical Midcredits score89th

44 titles, 17 with more than one role — acting and writing overlap on 10 of them.

By decade

1980s3 · crew1990s8 · 2 acting · 6 crew2000s11 · 9 acting · 8 crew2010s8 · 3 acting · 6 crew2020s10 · 4 acting · 8 crew

Billing

usually 3rd · top billed in 10% of 10 roles

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.

Awards

1 major award from 8 major nominations, 2003–2025.

WinNomination
  1. 2025
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Animated Feature Film
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Animated Feature Film
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Children's & Family Film
  2. 2014
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Animated Feature Film of the Year
  3. 2011
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Animated Feature Film of the Year
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Animated Feature
  4. 2010
    • Venice award, won · Most Creative 3D Film Stereoscopic Film of the Year
  5. 2003
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Animated Feature

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 Chris Sanders' films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 91st percentile, the median of all 28; across their 17 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 93rd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

93rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 17

Approval · how many liked their films

89thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 17

Reach · how many have seen their films

99thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 17

Midcredits score across 33 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up19
  • 50th to 74th9
  • 25th to 49th4
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

14 of their 33 titles are Universally Loved.

  • Universally Loved14
  • Divisive1
  • Crowd Pleaser14
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed2

Most divisive · actor, writer

The Origin of Stitch (2005)

64th percentile spread · 17% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · writer

The Lion King (1994)

Midcredits 99th · 93% liked

Reviewers score the acting 75/100 in their films, across 16 reviewed titles; fans 80, detractors 54. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

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 Chris Sanders' work okay for kids?

Across up to 15 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity, profanity and alcohol & drugs run lighter than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore14 titles30–40 · median 35 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity15 titles9–24 · median 15 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity14 titles6–18 · median 7 · minimallighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs13 titles3–26 · median 8 · minimallighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense14 titles30–45 · median 38 · 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 Chris Sanders work with?

People who share at least 2 of Chris Sanders' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Dean DeBlois shares the most, 11.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles