Chris Sanders

Christopher Michael Sanders (born March 12, 1962) is an American filmmaker, animator, and voice actor best known for creating the mischievous alien Stitch and co‑directing the beloved Disney hit Lilo & Stitch (2002). Growing up in Colorado Springs, he was fascinated by comic strips and the single‑frame capabilities of his father’s Super 8 camera, which sparked an early obsession with animation that later led him to study at the California Institute of the Arts, graduating in 1984. Sanders began his professional career as a character designer on Jim Henson’s Muppet Babies before moving to Walt Disney Animation Studios, where he contributed as a storyboard artist, artistic director, and production designer on classics such as Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, and Mulan. In 1985 he pitched a children’s book featuring a blue alien named “Stitch,” a concept that resurfaced when Disney executive Thomas Schumacher asked him to develop a lower‑budget feature, ultimately resulting in the Hawaiian‑set story that launched a multi‑media franchise and cemented Sanders as the voice of his creation. After a contentious departure from Disney in 2007, he joined DreamWorks Animation, where he co‑directed and co‑wrote the critically acclaimed How to Train Your Dragon (2010) and later The Croods (2013), both achieving worldwide box‑office success and numerous award nominations. Sanders made his live‑action directorial debut with The Call of the Wild (2020), an ambitious adaptation that, despite mixed reviews and modest earnings, demonstrated his willingness to explore new storytelling formats. Recent years have seen him return to both Disney and DreamWorks, writing and directing the animated adaptation of The Wild Robot (2024) and preparing a live‑action sequel to Lilo & Stitch slated for release in 2025, underscoring a career that spans over four decades of innovative animation and storytelling.