---
name: "Lee Unkrich"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/lee-unkrich"
fi1m_id: "lee-unkrich"
imdb_id: "nm0881279"
tmdb_id: 8
wikidata_id: "Q380920"
roles: ["Director","Producer","Writer"]
born: "8 August 1967"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 10
average_fi1m_score: 86
average_as: "director"
average_over: 5
updated: "2026-10-05T01:03:46.245730+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."
---

# Lee Unkrich

## Identity

Lee Unkrich

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/lee-unkrich
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** lee-unkrich
- **IMDb ID:** nm0881279
- **TMDB ID:** 8
- **Wikidata ID:** Q380920
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Unkrich, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q380920, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0881279/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/8

Director and producer. Born 8 August 1967 in Cleveland, Ohio, USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Director, Producer, Writer
- **Born:** 8 August 1967, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- **Active:** 1995–present
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 10: 1 acting, 5 directing, 3 producing, 1 crew
- **Frequently works with:** [Andrew Stanton](https://film.one/person/andrew-stanton.md), [Darla K. Anderson](https://film.one/person/darla-k-anderson.md), [Don Rickles](https://film.one/person/don-rickles.md), [John Lasseter](https://film.one/person/john-lasseter.md), [Tim Allen](https://film.one/person/tim-allen.md), [Tom Hanks](https://film.one/person/tom-hanks.md), [Joan Cusack](https://film.one/person/joan-cusack.md), [Wallace Shawn](https://film.one/person/wallace-shawn.md)
- **Academy Awards:** 2 Oscars (2 won · 1 nominated)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 86, as director, over 5 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1990s 85 (3), 2000s 86 (2), 2010s 80 (4), 2020s 76 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 86 to 82 across 5 titles
- **Score spread:** 5 at 80+, 0 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Genres:** Animation 5, Family 5, Comedy 3, Adventure 2, Fantasy 1, Music 1
- **Screen time:** 8 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $3,899m across 5 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Unkrich, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q380920, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0881279/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/8

## Coming up

- *Coco 2* (2029-11-20), Director

## Streaming the US now

- **Disney+:** [*Toy Story*](https://film.one/film/toy-story.md) (92), [*Toy Story 2*](https://film.one/film/toy-story-2.md) (89), [*Toy Story 3*](https://film.one/film/toy-story-3.md) (87), [*Coco*](https://film.one/film/coco.md) (84), [*A Bug's Life*](https://film.one/film/a-bugs-life.md) (73)

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

## Fi1m on Lee Unkrich

> Lee Unkrich brings an editor's precision to animation and takes children's fears seriously. His work can be funny and deeply affecting, though *Coco* shows how readily a busy adventure plot can interrupt something that already matters.

Lee Unkrich keeps the camera under control, even when animation would let it go anywhere. He favours the staging, composition and measured camera movement of live action, rather than sending us flying simply because he can. We rate his care with performance, most clearly in the warm, funny *Coco* (2017). There, the fear of being forgotten matters more than the busy adventure plot, which too often gets in the way.

His route through Pixar helps explain that restraint. He edited *Toy Story* (1995), then co-directed *Toy Story 2* (1999), *Monsters, Inc.* (2001) and *Finding Nemo* (2003). *Toy Story 3* (2010) was his solo directorial debut, but becoming a director did not mean leaving the cutting room behind. He shares *Coco*'s editing credit with Steve Bloom, maintaining a direct hand in how long a scene lasts and when we move to the next one.

*Coco* also shows what he gains by looking closely at a place before building an animated version of it. Research trips to Mexico informed its visual and sound details, and the Land of the Dead rewards that attention with plenty to look at. Anthony Gonzalez voices Miguel Rivera, at the centre of a story set around Mexico's Day of the Dead. We were moved by Miguel's journey through the afterlife because it takes the fear of being forgotten seriously without pretending death is harmless. That is a difficult subject for a family musical, and Unkrich allows it to remain difficult.

The screenplay by Matthew Aldrich and co-director Adrian Molina is less sure about how many complications that subject needs. The opening has a fair amount to explain, and later passages can feel like delays rather than developments. Unkrich and Bloom keep things brisk, but faster cutting cannot make an unnecessary detour useful. We would welcome fewer such detours and more time with the people and places he has taken care to make convincing. Start with *Coco*, preferably with someone willing to talk about its fears afterwards.

## Biography

Lee Unkrich is an American film director and editor. He joined Pixar Animation Studios in 1994 as an editor on *Toy Story* (1995) after working in television as an editor and director. He graduated from the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts in 1990.

Unkrich served as co-director on *Toy Story 2* (1999), *Monsters, Inc.* (2001) and *Finding Nemo* (2003). He made his solo directorial debut with *Toy Story 3* (2010) and later directed *Coco* (2017). Both films won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. He retired from Pixar in 2019 after 25 years.

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

## On Fi1m (10)

### Performed in (1)

- *A Bug's Life* (1998), Fi1m 73, as Additional Voices (voice) — [page](https://film.one/film/a-bugs-life.md)

### Directed (5) — the average rests on these

- *Coco* (2017), Fi1m 84, Editor, Director, Original Story — [page](https://film.one/film/coco.md)
- *Toy Story 3* (2010), Fi1m 87, as Additional Voices (voice) — [page](https://film.one/film/toy-story-3.md)
- *Finding Nemo* (2003), Fi1m 85, Co-Director, Supervising Film Editor — [page](https://film.one/film/finding-nemo.md)
- *Monsters, Inc.* (2001), Fi1m 86, as Additional Voices (voice) — [page](https://film.one/film/monsters-inc.md)
- *Toy Story 2* (1999), Fi1m 89, as Additional Voices (voice) — [page](https://film.one/film/toy-story-2.md)

### Produced (3)

- *Hoppers* (2026), Fi1m 76, Executive Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/hoppers.md)
- *Toy Story 4* (2019), Fi1m 78, Executive Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/toy-story-4.md)
- *Monsters University* (2013), Fi1m 72, Executive Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/monsters-university.md)

### Crew (1)

- *Toy Story* (1995), Fi1m 92, Editor — [page](https://film.one/film/toy-story.md)

## Complete filmography (27)

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

- *Coco 2* (2029), Director
- *Hoppers* (2026), Executive Producer — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/film/hoppers.md)
- *Toy Story 4* (2019), Executive Producer — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/toy-story-4.md)
- *Coco* (2017), as Additional Voices (voice) · Director, Editor, Original Story — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/coco.md)
- *Dante's Lunch* (2017), Director
- *The Good Dinosaur* (2015), Executive Producer
- *Lava* (2015), Thanks
- *Inside Out* (2015), as Other — Fi1m 87, [page](https://film.one/film/inside-out.md)
- *Monsters University* (2013), Executive Producer — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/film/monsters-university.md)
- *Toy Story 3* (2010), as Additional Voices (voice) · Director, Story — Fi1m 87, [page](https://film.one/film/toy-story-3.md)
- *Ken's Dating Tips: #31 Play Hard to Get* (2010), Director
- *Ken's Dating Tips: #24 Know Yourself, Be Yourself* (2010), Director
- *Ken's Dating Tips: #48 Communication is Key* (2010), Director
- *Groovin' with Ken* (2010), Director
- *Presto* (2008), Thanks
- *Cars* (2006), as Other · Additional Editor
- *Finding Nemo* (2003), as Additional Voices  (voice) · Supervising Film Editor, Co-Director — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/film/finding-nemo.md)
- *Monsters, Inc.* (2001), as Additional Voices (voice), Additional Editing · Co-Director — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/film/monsters-inc.md)
- *Toy Story 2* (1999), as Additional Voices (voice) · Editor, Co-Director — Fi1m 89, [page](https://film.one/film/toy-story-2.md)
- *A Bug's Life* (1998), as Additional Voices (voice) · Editor — Fi1m 73, [page](https://film.one/film/a-bugs-life.md)
- *Toy Story* (1995), Editor — Fi1m 92, [page](https://film.one/film/toy-story.md)
- *Separated by Murder* (1994), Editor
- *Betrayed by Love* (1994), Assistant Editor
- *Renegade* (1992), series, Assistant Editor
- *Silk Stalkings* (1991), series, Editor, Director
- *Prison Stories: Women on the Inside* (1991), Production Assistant
- *Ken's Dating Tips*, Director

## Gallery

- ![Lee Unkrich](https://film.one/media/person/86017/gallery-73550ed753ba.jpg) Lee Unkrich — Janice Y Ahn, Jeannie T Lee, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Mice_X_Y_chromosomes.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![66ème Festival du Cinéma de Venise (Mostra), 5ème jour (06/09/2009) George Lucas et les réalisateurs de Pixar reçoivent un Lion d'Or pour l'ensemble de leur car](https://film.one/media/person/86017/gallery-e83dcef3c8f0.jpg) 66ème Festival du Cinéma de Venise (Mostra), 5ème jour (06/09/2009) George Lucas et les réalisateurs de Pixar reçoivent un Lion d'Or pour l'ensemble de leur car — nicolas genin from Paris, France, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/91/66%C3%A8me_Festival_de_Venise_%28Mostra%29_Lion_d%27Or.jpg/1280px-66%C3%A8me_Festival_de_Venise_%28Mostra%29_Lion_d%27Or.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![66ème Festival du Cinéma de Venise (Mostra), 5ème jour (06/09/2009) George Lucas et les réalisateurs de Pixar reçoivent un Lion d'Or pour l'ensemble de leur car](https://film.one/media/person/86017/gallery-8798e820dda2.jpg) 66ème Festival du Cinéma de Venise (Mostra), 5ème jour (06/09/2009) George Lucas et les réalisateurs de Pixar reçoivent un Lion d'Or pour l'ensemble de leur car — nicolas genin from Paris, France, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/94/Flickr_-_nicogenin_-_66%C3%A8me_Festival_de_Venise_%28Mostra%29_-_Pixar_%2811%29.jpg/1280px-Flickr_-_nicogenin_-_66%C3%A8me_Festival_de_Venise_%28Mostra%29_-_Pixar_%2811%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![66ème Festival du Cinéma de Venise (Mostra), 5ème jour (06/09/2009) George Lucas et les réalisateurs de Pixar reçoivent un Lion d'Or pour l'ensemble de leur car](https://film.one/media/person/86017/gallery-dd7cbed7ffbf.jpg) 66ème Festival du Cinéma de Venise (Mostra), 5ème jour (06/09/2009) George Lucas et les réalisateurs de Pixar reçoivent un Lion d'Or pour l'ensemble de leur car — nicolas genin from Paris, France, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/14/Flickr_-_nicogenin_-_66%C3%A8me_Festival_de_Venise_%28Mostra%29_-_Pixar_%288%29.jpg/1280px-Flickr_-_nicogenin_-_66%C3%A8me_Festival_de_Venise_%28Mostra%29_-_Pixar_%288%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Lee Unkrich](https://film.one/media/person/86017/gallery-10b6c559020f.jpg) Lee Unkrich — Image via TMDB
- ![Lee Unkrich](https://film.one/media/person/86017/gallery-7e7b834f339b.jpg) Lee Unkrich — Image via TMDB
- ![Director Lee Unkrich and actor John Ratzenberger participating in the Toy Story 3 panel at WonderCon 2010.](https://film.one/media/person/86017/gallery-2c4866564da5.jpg) Director Lee Unkrich and actor John Ratzenberger participating in the Toy Story 3 panel at WonderCon 2010. — BrokenSphere, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1a/Lee_Unkrich_%26_John_Ratzenberger_at_WonderCon_2010_1.JPG/1280px-Lee_Unkrich_%26_John_Ratzenberger_at_WonderCon_2010_1.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Director Lee Unkrich and actor John Ratzenberger participating in the Toy Story 3 panel at WonderCon 2010.](https://film.one/media/person/86017/gallery-8a7567ad0eb9.jpg) Director Lee Unkrich and actor John Ratzenberger participating in the Toy Story 3 panel at WonderCon 2010. — BrokenSphere, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1c/Lee_Unkrich_%26_John_Ratzenberger_at_WonderCon_2010_2.JPG/1280px-Lee_Unkrich_%26_John_Ratzenberger_at_WonderCon_2010_2.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 2 won, 1 nominated

- 2018: Best Animated Feature (won), for *Coco*
- 2011: Best Animated Feature (won), for *Toy Story 3*
- 2011: Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay (nominated), for *Toy Story 3*

### Other awards — 1 won, 1 nominated

- Time Machine Award 2023: Time Machine Award (won)
- European Film Award for Best Non-European Film 2003: European Film Award for Best Non-European Film (nominated), for *Finding Nemo*

*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/lee-unkrich