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Chris Williams

Chris Williams

Writer, actor, director and producer · Born November 2, 1967 (58) · Missouri, USA

Oscar winner · Primetime Emmy winner · BAFTA Award nominee

Chris Williams is an American-Canadian animation film director, screenwriter and voice actor who is best known for directing the films Bolt (2008) and Big Hero 6 (2014) and co-directing the film Moana (2016) for Walt Disney Animation Studios, and for directing the film The Sea Beast (2022) for Netflix Animation. Description above from the Wikipedia article Chris Williams( director ), licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
November 2, 1967 (58)
From
Missouri, USA
Works as
Writer, actor, director and producer
Titles
20 on MovieCove · 26 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 24% in 30 days

What are Chris Williams' films like?

Across their 15 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
42%
Bonds
38%
Society
7%
Morality
5%
Ideas
5%
Survival
3%
Family bonds7 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity5 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship4 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth3 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 14 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 1 · Dark 0

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 0 · Stylized 6 · Heightened 8

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

Gentle 5 · Charged 8 · Intense 1

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

Steady 8 · Shifting 6 · Whiplash 0

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

Straight-faced 0 · Some laughs 7 · Funny 7

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

Slow burn 4 · Even-paced 7 · Relentless 3

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

Casual 10 · Engaged 4 · Full focus 0

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

Resolved 14 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
11
Warm
11
Hopeful
7
Thrilling
6
Tense
2
Other
6

How their films linger

Hopeful12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy13
  • Bittersweet2

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 Williams' films?

As of October 24, 2026, all 20 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Disney+ (18).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Chris Williams' 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

26 credits, 20 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • Nimona(2023)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • The Sea Beast(2022)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay · Story

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Battle Kitty (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Show 9 episodes · Thanks

  • Once Upon a Snowman(2020)

    as Oaken (voice)

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Short Circuit(2018)

    Show 1 episode · as Young Bert (voice)

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all shows

  • Ralph Breaks the Internet(2018)

    Additional Storyboarding · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Cycles (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    as Young Bert

  • Olaf's Frozen Adventure(2017)

    as Oaken (voice)

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Gone Fishing (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Co-Director

  • Moana(2016)

    Co-Director · Story

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Zootopia(2016)

    Additional Storyboarding

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Frozen Fever(2015)

    as Oaken (voice)

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Big Hero 6(2014)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Frozen(2013)

    as Oaken (voice)

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Prep & Landing: Totally Tinsel Collection (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Executive Producer

  • Wreck-It Ralph(2012)

    Additional Storyboarding

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Prep & Landing(2009)

    Executive Producer · Original Story

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Super Rhino(2009)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Bolt(2008)

    Director · Screenplay · as Additional Voices (voice)

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Glago's Guest (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Director · Writer

  • The Emperor's New School(2006)

    Show Writer

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all shows

  • Kronk's New Groove(2005)

    Characters

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Brother Bear(2003)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • The Emperor's New Groove(2000)

    Story · Story Artist

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Mulan(1998)

    Story

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • The Sea Beast 2 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director · Writer

Career shape

A full career of 24 titles, 23 of them dated from 1998 to 2023.

Biggest box office

Frozen (2013)

$1.3B worldwide

Highest rated

Big Hero 6 (2014)

Midcredits 97th

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting7 of 24: 6 only acting, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score73rdDirecting7 of 24: 2 only directing, 5 with another roleWriting9 of 24: 3 only writing, 6 with another role · typical Midcredits score90thProducing5 of 24: 2 only producing, 3 with another roleOther crew5 of 24: 4 only other crew, 1 with another role

24 titles, 7 with more than one role — writing and acting overlap on 1 of them.

By decade

1990s1 · crew2000s6 · 1 acting · 6 crew2010s11 · 4 acting · 7 crew2020s5 · 2 acting · 3 crew

Billing

usually 6th · top billed in 0% of 5 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

an Oscar and a Primetime Emmy from 5 major nominations, 2009–2023.

WinNomination
  1. 2023
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Animated Feature Film
  2. 2015
    • Oscar, won · Best Animated Feature Film of the Year
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Animated Feature Film
  3. 2010
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Animated Program
  4. 2009
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Animated Feature Film of the Year

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 Williams' films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 88th percentile, the median of all 18; across their 14 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 83rd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

83rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 14

Approval · how many liked their films

81stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 14

Reach · how many have seen their films

96thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 14

Midcredits score across 20 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up13
  • 50th to 74th3
  • 25th to 49th4

Shape of the crowd

9 of their 20 titles are Universally Loved.

  • Universally Loved9
  • Crowd Pleaser7
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed3

Most divisive · actor

Olaf's Frozen Adventure (2017)

65th percentile spread · 25% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director

Big Hero 6 (2014)

Midcredits 97th · 88% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 62/100 and the plot and story 46/100 in their films, across 14 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 Chris Williams' work okay for kids?

Across up to 11 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 & Gore10 titles24–41 · median 36 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity11 titles5–25 · median 12 · minimallighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity10 titles6–17 · median 10 · minimallighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs11 titles3–23 · median 10 · minimallighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense9 titles31–46 · median 39 · 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 Williams work with?

People who share at least 2 of Chris Williams' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; John Lasseter shares the most, 8.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles