---
name: "Chris Appelhans"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/chris-appelhans"
fi1m_id: "chris-appelhans"
imdb_id: "nm2282774"
tmdb_id: 1453550
wikidata_id: "Q28978215"
roles: ["Director"]
born: "28 April 1980"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 1
average_as: "director"
average_over: 1
updated: "2026-09-23T17:18:18.069228+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."
---

# Chris Appelhans

## Identity

Chris Appelhans

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/chris-appelhans
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** chris-appelhans
- **IMDb ID:** nm2282774
- **TMDB ID:** 1453550
- **Wikidata ID:** Q28978215
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Appelhans, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q28978215, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2282774/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1453550

Director. Born 28 April 1980 in Firth, Idaho, USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Director
- **Born:** 28 April 1980, Firth, Idaho, USA
- **Also known as:** Christopher Appelhans
- **Academy Awards:** 2 Oscars (2 won)
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Appelhans, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q28978215, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2282774/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1453550

## Streaming the US now

- **Netflix:** [*KPop Demon Hunters*](https://film.one/film/kpop-demon-hunters.md) (76)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Chris Appelhans is an American film director, writer, illustrator and designer. He studied illustration at the Art Center College of Design and began his career in animation as a concept artist and character designer on films including *Monster House* (2006), *The Princess and the Frog* (2009) and *Fantastic Mr. Fox* (2009). He later worked as a production designer on the stop-motion feature *Coraline* (2009), for which he received an Annie Award nomination.

Appelhans made his directorial debut with *Wish Dragon* (2021), which he also wrote. He co-directed and co-wrote the animated film *KPop Demon Hunters* (2025) with Maggie Kang. He has illustrated children's books including *Sparky!* (2014) and *A Greyhound, a Groundhog* (2017).

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, sonypicturesanimation.com, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (1)

- *KPop Demon Hunters* (2025), Fi1m 76, Screenplay, Director — [page](https://film.one/film/kpop-demon-hunters.md)

## Complete filmography (11)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *KPop Demon Hunters* (2025), Director, Screenplay — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/film/kpop-demon-hunters.md)
- *Wish Dragon* (2021), as Hot Towel Waiter / Nomani Retailer (voice) · Director, Writer
- *Rise of the Guardians* (2012), Art Department Manager, Additional Writing, Character Designer
- *Puss in Boots* (2011), as Visual Development
- *The Princess and the Frog* (2009), as Visual Development
- *Fantastic Mr. Fox* (2009), Art Department Manager — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/fantastic-mr-fox.md)
- *Coraline* (2009), Art Department Manager — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/film/coraline.md)
- *City of Ember* (2008), Conceptual Design
- *Monster House* (2006), Conceptual Design
- *Untitled KPop Demon Hunters Sequel*, Writer, Director
- *Wish Dragon 2*, Writer

## Gallery

- ![KPop Demon Hunters Academy Award Win Commemoration Press Conference April 1, 2026 CGV Yongsan I’Park Mall, Seoul Ministry of culture, sports and Tourism Officia](https://film.one/media/person/1450353/gallery-6929dc00e0bd.jpg) KPop Demon Hunters Academy Award Win Commemoration Press Conference April 1, 2026 CGV Yongsan I’Park Mall, Seoul Ministry of culture, sports and Tourism Officia — KOREA.NET - Official page of the Republic of Korea, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b4/Chris_Appelhans_-_KPop_Demon_Hunters_Academy_Award_Win_Commemoration_Press_Conference_-_55180200567.jpg/1280px-Chris_Appelhans_-_KPop_Demon_Hunters_Academy_Award_Win_Commemoration_Press_Conference_-_55180200567.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![KPop Demon Hunters Academy Award Win Commemoration Press Conference April 1, 2026 CGV Yongsan I’Park Mall, Seoul Ministry of culture, sports and Tourism Officia](https://film.one/media/person/1450353/gallery-173b488a7aa1.jpg) KPop Demon Hunters Academy Award Win Commemoration Press Conference April 1, 2026 CGV Yongsan I’Park Mall, Seoul Ministry of culture, sports and Tourism Officia — KOREA.NET - Official page of the Republic of Korea, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d8/Chris_Appelhans_-_KPop_Demon_Hunters_Academy_Award_Win_Commemoration_Press_Conference_-_55181348364.jpg/1280px-Chris_Appelhans_-_KPop_Demon_Hunters_Academy_Award_Win_Commemoration_Press_Conference_-_55181348364.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Chris Appelhans](https://film.one/media/person/1450353/gallery-f212225b7609.jpg) Chris Appelhans — Kevin Paul, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/29/Chris_Appelhans_-_Kpop_Demon_Hunters.jpg/1280px-Chris_Appelhans_-_Kpop_Demon_Hunters.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Chris Appelhans and Maggie Kang attending a press conference held at CGV Yongsan I'Park Mall in Yongsan-gu, Seoul to celebrate the Academy Award win of the movi (2026)](https://film.one/media/person/1450353/gallery-a31b8af09970.png) Chris Appelhans and Maggie Kang attending a press conference held at CGV Yongsan I'Park Mall in Yongsan-gu, Seoul to celebrate the Academy Award win of the movi (2026) — 티비텐 TV10, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5d/Chris_Appelhans_and_Maggie_Kang%2C_April_1%2C_2026.png/1280px-Chris_Appelhans_and_Maggie_Kang%2C_April_1%2C_2026.png?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Chris Appelhans](https://film.one/media/person/1450353/gallery-b0e064b0e0ec.jpg) Chris Appelhans — Image via TMDB
- ![KPop Demon Hunters Academy Award Win Commemoration Press Conference April 1, 2026 CGV Yongsan I’Park Mall, Seoul Ministry of culture, sports and Tourism Officia](https://film.one/media/person/1450353/gallery-433ef54a679f.jpg) KPop Demon Hunters Academy Award Win Commemoration Press Conference April 1, 2026 CGV Yongsan I’Park Mall, Seoul Ministry of culture, sports and Tourism Officia — KOREA.NET - Official page of the Republic of Korea, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/94/Chris_Appelhans_and_Maggie_Kang_-_KPop_Demon_Hunters_Academy_Award_Win_Commemoration_Press_Conference_-_55181088301.jpg/1280px-Chris_Appelhans_and_Maggie_Kang_-_KPop_Demon_Hunters_Academy_Award_Win_Commemoration_Press_Conference_-_55181088301.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 2 won

- 2026: Best Animated Feature (won), for *KPop Demon Hunters*
- 2026: Academy Awards (won)

*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/chris-appelhans