DEAN DeBLOIS
Date of Birth: June 7, 1970
Canadian-born Dean DeBlois started his career at Hinton Animation Studios and worked as animator on the television series The Raccoons. He next joined Don Bluth's Sullivan Bluth Studios in Ireland and worked on the animated features Thumbelina and A Troll in Central Park.
DeBlois is now a film director, screenwriter and animator who is equally at home in the worlds of live-action and animation filmmaking. Although already an accomplished animator and writer at the time the film became a worldwide hit, DeBlois is perhaps best known for co-writing and co-directing Walt Disney Animation Studios' Lilo & Stitch. He later stepped behind the live-action camera to direct the indie critical darling Heima, which documents alternative/post-rock band Sigur Ros' series of free, unannounced concerts performed in their home country of Iceland. He also served as head of story on the Disney hit Mulan.
Mostly recently he co-wrote and co-directed the animated film How to Train Your Dragon. Next up for DeBlois is the live-action comedy The Banshee and Fin Magee, which he'll write, produce and direct for Walt Disney Pictures. In addition, he has several live-action projects in development at Universal Studios and The Walt Disney Studio, on which he is serving as writer, director and producer.