--- name: "Byron Howard" canonical: "https://film.one/person/byron-howard" fi1m_id: "byron-howard" imdb_id: "nm0397174" tmdb_id: 76595 wikidata_id: "Q1018606" roles: ["Director","Writer"] born: "26 December 1968" reviewed_on_fi1m: 8 average_fi1m_score: 76 average_as: "director" average_over: 5 updated: "2026-10-05T05:35:59.750676+00:00" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Byron Howard ## Identity Byron Howard - **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/byron-howard - **Type:** Person - **Fi1m ID:** byron-howard - **IMDb ID:** nm0397174 - **TMDB ID:** 76595 - **Wikidata ID:** Q1018606 - **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byron_Howard, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1018606, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0397174/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/76595 Director and writer. Born 26 December 1968 in Misawa, Japan. ## Details - **Work:** Director, Writer - **Born:** 26 December 1968, Misawa, Japan - **Active:** 2002–present - **Also known as:** 바이론 하워드 - **Titles on Fi1m:** 8: 5 directing, 1 producing, 2 crew - **Frequently works with:** [Clark Spencer](https://film.one/person/clark-spencer.md), [Jared Bush](https://film.one/person/jared-bush.md), [Dan Fogelman](https://film.one/person/dan-fogelman.md), [Ginnifer Goodwin](https://film.one/person/ginnifer-goodwin.md), [Jason Bateman](https://film.one/person/jason-bateman.md), [Yvett Merino](https://film.one/person/yvett-merino.md) - **Academy Awards:** 2 Oscars (2 won · 2 nominated) - **Average Fi1m score:** 76, as director, over 5 titles - **Fi1m score by decade:** 2000s 71 (3), 2010s 74 (3), 2020s 75 (2) - **Fi1m against the critics:** 76 to 75 across 5 titles - **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 3 at 60–79, 0 under 60 - **Lead roles:** 0 of 1 acting credits billed first or second - **Genres:** Animation 5, Family 5, Adventure 4, Comedy 4, Fantasy 1, Mystery 1 - **Screen time:** 9 hours of reviewed films - **Box office:** $4,057m across 5 films with figures - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byron_Howard, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1018606, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0397174/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/76595 ## Streaming the US now - **Disney+:** [*Zootopia*](https://film.one/film/zootopia.md) (82), [*Encanto*](https://film.one/film/encanto.md) (80), [*Tangled*](https://film.one/film/tangled.md) (75), [*Bolt*](https://film.one/film/bolt.md) (74), [*Zootopia 2*](https://film.one/film/zootopia-2.md) (70) For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country. ## Fi1m on Byron Howard > Byron Howard gives animated animals distinct habits and convincing difficulties living together. We rate his funny, observant work, though *Zootopia* is stronger as a police comedy than as an explanation of human prejudice. Judy Hopps wants to be a police officer in *Zootopia* (2016), but being a rabbit gives everyone else an opinion about her suitability. Byron Howard and co-director Rich Moore make that difficulty part of a funny, thoughtful detective story. We warmed to Judy because her determination does not instantly make the other animals reconsider what rabbits can do. It is a sharp police comedy first, which is why we recommend it despite the problems with its teaching. His directing work began with *Bolt* (2008), alongside Chris Williams, then *Tangled* (2010), with Nathan Greno. The latter returned to the Disney fairy tale in computer animation; *Zootopia* took him into a city organised around species and their assumptions about one another. With Jared Bush and Charise Castro Smith, he went on to *Encanto* (2021), with its attention to family dynamics and Colombian culture. His interest in musical structure also informs how he thinks about animation timing. For *Zootopia*, research into animal behaviour supports his attention to small changes of expression and the traits that distinguish one species from another. That helps the city hold our attention through both jokes and detective work. Our reservation concerns the use of predators and prey to explain human prejudice. The comparison asks too much of the animals, though Howard and Moore keep the film alert to the failings of those who mean well. In *Zootopia 2* (2025), co-directed with Jared Bush, Judy and Nick Wilde are partners who have not yet learnt to work well together. Ke Huy Quan’s Gary De’Snake gives them a lively new presence to contend with in a city that has no room for reptiles. We still recommend the sequel to those who liked the first film, but its conspiracy is busier and less sure-footed. The speed and density leave too much competing for attention. Start with *Zootopia*, and return for the snake rather than the conspiracy. ## Biography Byron Howard (born 26 December 1968) is an American animator, character designer, story artist, film director, producer and screenwriter. He has directed several Walt Disney Animation Studios feature films, including *Bolt* (2008), *Tangled* (2010), *Zootopia* (2016), *Encanto* (2021) and *Zootopia 2* (2025). Howard attended Evergreen State College. He began his Disney career as a tour guide at Disney-MGM Studios before joining the studio in 1994 as an animator on films such as *Pocahontas*, *Mulan*, *Lilo & Stitch* and *Brother Bear*. He has won Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature for *Zootopia* and *Encanto*. *Sources: en.wikipedia.org, themoviedb.org.* ## On Fi1m (8) ### Directed (5) — the average rests on these - *Zootopia 2* (2025), Fi1m 70, as Berthold Hufschmerz / Bucky / Joel (voice) — [page](https://film.one/film/zootopia-2.md) - *Encanto* (2021), Fi1m 80, Director, Story — [page](https://film.one/film/encanto.md) - *Zootopia* (2016), Fi1m 82, as Bucky Oryx-Antlerson (voice) — [page](https://film.one/film/zootopia.md) - *Tangled* (2010), Fi1m 75, as Guard 2 / Thug 2 (voice) — [page](https://film.one/film/tangled.md) - *Bolt* (2008), Fi1m 74, Director — [page](https://film.one/film/bolt.md) ### Produced (1) - *Frozen II* (2019), Fi1m 65, Executive Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/frozen-ii.md) ### Crew (2) - *Brother Bear* (2003), Fi1m 56, Supervising Animator — [page](https://film.one/film/brother-bear.md) - *Lilo & Stitch* (2002), Fi1m 82, Character Designer — [page](https://film.one/film/lilo-and-stitch.md) ## Complete filmography (15) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *LEGO Disney Princess: Magical Mayhem* (2026), Creator - *Zootopia 2* (2025), as Berthold Hufschmerz / Bucky / Joel (voice) · Director — Fi1m 70, [page](https://film.one/film/zootopia-2.md) - *LEGO Disney Princess: Villains Unite* (2025), Creator - *Iwájú* (2024), series, Executive Producer - *Encanto at the Hollywood Bowl* (2022), Executive Producer - *Zootopia+* (2022), series, as Bucky Oryx-Antlerson (voice) · Executive Producer - *Encanto* (2021), Story, Director — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/film/encanto.md) - *Frozen II* (2019), Executive Producer — Fi1m 65, [page](https://film.one/film/frozen-ii.md) - *Zootopia* (2016), as Bucky Oryx-Antlerson (voice) · Director, Story — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/zootopia.md) - *Tangled Ever After* (2012), as Lantern Wrangler / Chef (voice) · Director, Writer - *Tangled* (2010), as Guard 2 / Thug 2 (voice) · Director — Fi1m 75, [page](https://film.one/film/tangled.md) - *Super Rhino* (2009), Executive Producer - *Bolt* (2008), Director — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/film/bolt.md) - *Brother Bear* (2003), Supervising Animator — Fi1m 56, [page](https://film.one/film/brother-bear.md) - *Lilo & Stitch* (2002), Character Designer — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/lilo-and-stitch.md) ## Awards ### Academy Awards — 2 won, 2 nominated - 2026: Best Animated Feature (nominated), for *Zootopia 2* - 2022: Best Animated Feature (won), for *Encanto* - 2017: Best Animated Feature (won), for *Zootopia* - 2009: Best Animated Feature (nominated), for *Bolt* *From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.* --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/byron-howard