Toggle search
Toggle menu
142
7
25
82.3K
CartoonWiki
Toggle preferences menu
Toggle personal menu
Not logged in
Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits.

Phil Lord and Christopher Miller

From CartoonWiki
More actions

Template:Short description Template:About Template:Use mdy dates Template:Use American English

Philip Anderson Lord (born July 12, 1975) and Christopher Robert Miller (born September 23, 1975) are American filmmakers. They are the creators and co-stars of the adult animated sitcom Clone High (2002–2003, 2023–2024), and the writers and directors of the animated films Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009) and The Lego Movie (2014), as well as the directors of the live-action comedy film 21 Jump Street (2012) and its sequel, 22 Jump Street (2014).

Lord and Miller are best known for working on the film series for Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, The Lego Movie and Spider-Verse, which won them the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) and a nomination for the aforementioned award for producing the sequel, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023). They have also worked on the television series The Last Man on Earth (2015–2018) for Fox, Unikitty! (2017–2020) for Cartoon Network, and most recently The Afterparty (2022–2023) for Apple TV+.

Early life

Lord is from Miami; his mother is a Cuban-born psychologist, and his father retired from the aviation business and before that directed a dance company, Fusion, for 10 years. Miller is from the Seattle area, where his father runs a lumber mill.[1]

Lord and Miller both grew up making short films with an affinity for animation. They both attended Dartmouth College, where they first met, and had separate comics in the school newspaper, The Dartmouth. Lord was a member of Amarna, a co-ed undergraduate society while Miller was a brother at Alpha Chi Alpha. During his time in college, Miller met his girlfriend, now wife.

During their time at Dartmouth, the school paper published a profile on Miller, which caught the attention of Michael Eisner, then chairman of Disney. According to Lord, Eisner brought the profile to the attention of his fellow Disney executives who offered to set up a meeting with Miller. Miller agreed to the meeting as long as he could bring Lord. After three months, the two moved to Los Angeles and after one meeting were offered a two-year development deal at Walt Disney Television Animation.[2]

Career

2000s

Though nothing they pitched made it to air, they produced the pilot to Clone High, which was subsequently dropped by Fox. After they wrote and produced on a series of sitcoms, MTV informed the duo that they were interested in purchasing a 13-episode season of Clone High. Although the show was met with acclaim, MTV canceled the series after hunger strike protests occurred in India over the show's portrayal of Gandhi as a motor-mouthed partier.[3]

In 2003, the two were tapped to write a screenplay for Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, their first feature film. After a year working on the script, they were fired for story issues and replaced with new writers, who after a year were fired themselves. Lord and Miller were re-hired in 2006. The two completely redid the script, this time with the creative input of their crew. The new draft had the protagonist as a failed inventor who wanted to prove himself to his town. The two were almost fired again after Amy Pascal, the head of Sony Pictures at the time, criticized the film for a lack of story. Although the film succeeded on the comedic front in the animatic stage, Pascal cited the lack of an anchoring relationship in the film as a failure in the story telling. Unable to create new characters and environments to suit the new story demands, the two elevated the character of the tackle shop extra to be the protagonist's father, thereby creating the relationship Pascal had requested.[4]

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs was released in 2009 to positive reviews.

2010s

Miller and Lord at the 2015 WonderCon.

After Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs was released, the two sought to try to make something different and pitched themselves as possible directors for the 21 Jump Street script that Michael Bacall and Jonah Hill had written. The studio agreed and the two directed their first live-action R-rated film, released to critical acclaim, which led to the production of the sequel 22 Jump Street.

In an interview with Robert K. Elder for his book The Best Film You've Never Seen, Lord stated that "in an animated feature, you remake the movie three or four times, and it's really easy to get bummed out that the way you did it before didn't get greenlit, didn't get paid, and you're making a totally different version of that movie."[5]

During the production of 21 Jump Street, they pitched a take on a possible Lego film to Dan Lin. Lin and Warner Bros. loved the take, so Lord and Miller wrote and eventually directed their third feature film together, The Lego Movie. The duo were picked by Warner Bros. to write the story treatment for the then-upcoming superhero film The Flash, but dropped out of the project in favor of directing the then-untitled Solo: A Star Wars Story.[6] The duo were picked by Sony Pictures Animation in 2015 to create an animated Spider-Man film, with the option to direct. The film was eventually made as Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018), which the duo produced and which Lord co-wrote.[7]

The duo have developed a live-action/animated series, Son of Zorn, for Fox, with Jason Sudeikis voicing the lead role of animated character Zorn, and Johnny Pemberton and Cheryl Hines playing the live-action roles.[8] They are producing a cable-TV drama based on the popular NPR/This American Life spinoff podcast Serial.[9]

In January 2017, Lord and Miller began directing the then-untitled film Solo: A Star Wars Story, a standalone Star Wars movie based on the Han Solo character. On June 20, 2017, it was reported that they had been fired from the project by Lucasfilm, after over four-and-a-half months of filming, about three-quarters through principal photography.[10] Lucasfilm announced that "creative differences" were the reason, with Entertainment Weekly reporting that Lord and Miller were going off-script and trying to make the film into more of a comedy. They were unwilling to compromise with Lucasfilm and writer Lawrence Kasdan on the direction of the film, preferring their vision. Two days later, Ron Howard was announced as the replacement, to complete the film and reshoots.[11][12] Lord and Miller received executive-producer credits on Solo: A Star Wars Story.[13]

In November 2017, Lord and Miller commented on their departure from Solo: A Star Wars Story. Lord stated "The experience of shooting the movie was wonderful. We had the most incredible cast and crew and collaborators. [...] We're really proud of the work we did on the movie and we wish everybody the best." Miller added "As Phil said, we had such a great relationship with cast and crew, we were really rooting for them. After we took a much-needed vacation, we got back into it and now we're writing and producing a sequel to The Lego Movie and producing a Miles Morales animated Spider-Man."[14]

In August 2019, Lord and Miller signed a first-look deal with Universal Pictures.[15][16]

2020s–present

In 2021, Lord and Miller produced two animated films that were distributed through Netflix. The first was The Mitchells vs. the Machines for Sony Pictures Animation.[17] They also produced an R-rated animated Netflix original film called America: The Motion Picture alongside Will Allegra, Matt Thompson, Adam Reed, Channing Tatum, Reid Carolin and Peter Kiernan from a screenplay by David Callaham and directed by Thompson.[18][19]

In June 2020, it was reported that Lord and Miller would be developing an eight-episode television series titled The Afterparty for Apple TV+. The series is a murder mystery comedy set at a high school reunion where each episode features a retelling of the same night told through a different character's point of view.[20] Miller created and directed the series, while serving as an executive producer alongside Lord. The series premiered on January 28, 2022, to critical acclaim.

On November 1, 2019, it was announced that Lord and Miller would be returning as producers and writers for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, which was released on June 2, 2023.[21][22] In December 2021, Lord and Miller revealed that Across the Spider-Verse was being split into two parts after they had written down the story they wanted to tell for the sequel and realized that it was too much for a single film. Work on both parts was taking place simultaneously, or at least believed to be until June 2023 when animators claimed they were overworked to complete Part One,[23] with Part Two since renamed to Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse.[21][24] A release date has yet to be announced, as the film was removed from the release schedule on July 28, 2023, reportedly due to the then-ongoing 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.[25] Its original release date of March 29, 2024, was taken by Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. Recording of voice lines were set to resume on November 9, 2023, following the resolution of the SAG-AFTRA strike,[26] and production was confirmed by Miller to have resumed the following month.[27]

On July 2, 2020, it was announced that MTV Entertainment Studios was developing a revival of Clone High, and that original series creators, Lord, Miller, and Bill Lawrence would be involved with the project.[28] In February 2021, HBO Max ordered two seasons of the revival,[29] the first of which premiered on May 23, 2023.

As part of their first-look deal with Universal Pictures, Lord and Miller have produced two R-rated comedy films for the studio; Cocaine Bear, a comedy horror film which was inspired by the true story involving the eponymous bear,[30] and Strays, a comedy about talking dogs.[31]

Future projects

In April 2019, they made a five-year deal with Sony Pictures Television to develop an animated Marvel series, including a possible Into the Spider-Verse series.[32]

On May 15, 2020, Variety reported that Lord and Miller are attached to direct a film adaptation of Andy Weir's next novel Project Hail Mary for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, with Ryan Gosling attached to star in the leading role and Amy Pascal producing.[33] Filming began in June 2024 in the United Kingdom.[34] The film is scheduled to be released on March 20, 2026.[35]

In October 2023, writer Dennis E. Taylor, author of the Bobiverse series, announced that a potential adaptation had been optioned to Lord Miller Productions for distribution through Universal Pictures.[36]

Other projects

Lord co-wrote the comic Spider-Man Annual #1, marking his first involvement on a comic book;[37] he and Miller also co-wrote a Marvel comic celebrating the company's 80th anniversary, marking Miller's first time writing a comic book.[38][39]

In September 2020, it was announced that a live-action television series based on the character Silk was in development, with both Lord and Miller serving as executive producers alongside Amy Pascal.[40] The series, which is part of Sony's Spider-Man Universe, would be ordered by MGM+ and Amazon Prime Video under the title Silk: Spider Society, with Angela Kang serving as the showrunner.[41][42] However, in February 2024, the series was redeveloped for a more "male-skewing" audience with the writers' room paused,[43] and in May the same year, Amazon dropped the series, with Sony shopping it to other potential buyers.[44][45]

Filmography

Films

Year Title Director(s) Writer(s) Producer(s)
2008 Extreme Movie Template:No Template:Yes Template:Partial
2009 Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Partial
2012 21 Jump Street Template:Yes Template:No Template:No
2013 Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 Template:No Template:Yes Template:Yes
2014 The Lego Movie Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Partial
22 Jump Street Template:Yes Template:No Template:Yes
2016 Storks Template:No Template:No Template:Yes
2017 Brigsby Bear Template:No Template:No Template:Yes
The Lego Batman Movie Template:No Template:No Template:Yes
The Lego Ninjago Movie Template:No Template:No Template:Yes
2018 Solo: A Star Wars Story Template:Partial Template:No Template:Yes
Smallfoot Template:No Template:No Template:Yes
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Template:No Template:Yes Template:Yes
2019 The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part Template:No Template:Yes Template:Yes
2021 The Mitchells vs. the Machines Template:No Template:No Template:Yes
America: The Motion Picture Template:No Template:No Template:Yes
2023 Cocaine Bear Template:No Template:No Template:Yes
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Template:No Template:Yes Template:Yes
Strays Template:No Template:No Template:Yes
2024 Los Frikis Template:No Template:No Template:Yes
2026 Project Hail Mary Template:Yes Template:No Template:Yes
TBA Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse Template:No Template:Yes Template:Yes

Other credits

Year Title Notes
2006 Open Season Special Thanks
2007 Surf's Up
2008 Igor
2014 Annie Directors: MoonQuake Lake scenes
2016 Sausage Party Special Thanks
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
2017 Baby Driver
2024 The Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story Special Thanks
Credited as Lord Miller Productions

Television

Year Title Creators / Showrunners Directors Writers Producers Notes
1999–2000 Zoe, Duncan, Jack and Jane Template:No Template:No Template:Yes Template:No Episode: "Crossing the Line"
2001 Go Fish Template:No Template:No Template:Yes Template:No Episode: "Go Wrestling"
2002–03,
2023–24 		Clone High Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes 33 episodes
2003 Luis Template:No Template:No Template:No Template:Partial 5 episodes
2004 Method & Red Template:No Template:No Template:Yes Template:Partial 9 episodes
Episodes: "Well Well Well", "Da Shootout" and "A House Apart"
Cracking Up Template:No Template:No Template:No Template:Partial 6 episodes
2005–06 How I Met Your Mother Template:No Template:No Template:Yes Template:Yes 17 episodes
Episodes: "Sweet Taste of Liberty" & "Belly Full of Turkey"
2013 Brooklyn Nine-Nine Template:No Template:Yes Template:No Template:Yes Episode: "Pilot"
2015–18 The Last Man on Earth Template:No Template:Yes Template:No Template:Yes 67 episodes
Episodes: "Alive in Tucson" & "The Elephant in the Room"
2016–17 Son of Zorn Template:No Template:No Template:No Template:Yes 13 episodes
2017 Making History Template:No Template:No Template:No Template:Yes 9 episodes
2017–18 Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs Template:No Template:No Template:No Template:Partial 104 episodes
2017–20 Unikitty! Template:No Template:No Template:No Template:Yes 104 episodes
2019–21 Bless the Harts Template:No Template:No Template:No Template:Yes 34 episodes
2020 Hoops Template:No Template:No Template:No Template:Yes 10 episodes
2022–23 The Afterparty Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Miller: Showrunner, directed 10 episodes and wrote 6 episodes
Lord: wrote "Zoe"
TBA Spider-Noir Template:No Template:No Template:No Template:Yes

Acting credits

Year Title Role as Notes
Template:Sortname Template:Sortname
1997 The Empire Strikes Back Template:N/a Stormtrooper Special Edition re-release[46]
1998–99 Caroline in the City Bill Cliff 3 episodes
2002–03,
2023–24 		Clone High Principal Dr. Cinnamon J. Scudworth /
Genghis Khan 		JFK / Vice Principal Mr. Butlertron Voice roles, 33 episodes
2007 How I Met Your Mother Too Much Tongue Guy Template:N/a Episode: "How I Met Everyone Else"
2014 The Lego Movie Template:N/a TV announcer Voice role
2015 A Lego Brickumentary Himself Himself Documentary film
2019 The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part Template:N/a Chad, horse, chocolate bar, Plantimals, Paperboy Voice role
2020 Lego Masters Himself Himself Episode: "Movie Genres"
TBA Shrek 2 Retold TBA Prince Charming Voice roles[47][48]

Accolades

Year Award Nominated work Result
2009 Satellite Award for Best Animated or Mixed Media Feature Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs Template:Nom
2010 Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film Template:Nom
Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Animated Feature Template:Nom
Annie Award for Best Animated Feature Template:Nom
Annie Award for Directing in a Feature Production Template:Nom
Annie Award for Writing in a Feature Production Template:Nom
2012 Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie: Comedy 21 Jump Street Template:Won
2013 People's Choice Award for Favorite Comedy Movie Template:Nom
Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Comedy Template:Nom
Empire Award for Best Comedy Template:Nom
2014 Teen Choice Award for Choice Summer Movie[49] 22 Jump Street Template:Won
National Board of Review: Top Ten Films[50] The Lego Movie Template:Won
National Board of Review Award for Best Original Screenplay[50] Template:Won
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Animated Feature Template:Won
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Original Screenplay Template:Nom
New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Animated Film[51] Template:Won
New York Film Critics Online Award for Best Animated Film Template:Won
San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Animated Film Template:Nom
Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Picture Template:Nom
Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Animated Film Template:Won
Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Animated Film Template:Won
Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Animated Film Template:Won
Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Animated Film Template:Won
San Francisco Film Critics Circle Award for Best Animated Feature Template:Won
St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Award for Best Animated Film Template:Won
2015 People's Choice Award for Favorite Movie[52] 22 Jump Street Template:Nom
People's Choice Award for Favorite Comedic Movie[52] Template:Won
People's Choice Award for Favorite Family Movie[52] The Lego Movie Template:Nom
Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film[53] Template:Nom
Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Animated Feature Template:Won
Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Comedy 22 Jump Street Template:Nom
Annie Award for Best Animated Feature[54] The Lego Movie Template:Nom
Annie Award for Directing in an Animated Feature Production[54] Template:Nom
Annie Award for Writing in an Animated Feature Production[54] Template:Won
Satellite Award for Best Animated or Mixed Media Feature[55] Template:Nom
Satellite Award for Best Original Screenplay[55] Template:Nom
BAFTA Award for Best Animated Film Template:Won
Saturn Award for Best Animated Film Template:Won
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series The Last Man on Earth Template:Nom
Monmouth Award for Communication Excellence (MACE)[56] Lifetime contributions in the field of communications Template:Won
2018 Producers Guild of America Award for Best Animated Motion Picture[57] (With Dan Lin) The Lego Batman Movie Template:Nom
2019 Annie Award for Best Animated Feature Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Template:Won
Producers Guild of America Award for Best Animated Motion Picture (With Avi Arad, Amy Pascal and Christina Steinberg) Template:Won
Annie Award for Writing in a Feature Production (Only Phil Lord) (With Rodney Rothman) Template:Won
BAFTA Award for Best Animated Film (Only Phil Lord) Template:Won
Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film Template:Won
Academy Award for Best Animated Feature
(With Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey and Rodney Rothman) 		Template:Won
2020 Chicago Indie Critics for Best Animated Film (With Dan Lin, Roy Lee and Jinko Gotoh) The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part Template:Nom
2021 SCAD Savannah Film Festival Outstanding Achievement in Animation The Mitchells vs. the Machines Template:Won
Academy Award for Best Animated Feature (With Mike Rianda and Kurt Albrecht) Template:Nom
BAFTA Award for Best Animated Film (With Mike Rianda and Kurt Albrecht) Template:Nom
Producers Guild of America Award for Best Animated Motion Picture (With Kurt Albrecht) Template:Nom
2022 Hollywood Critics Association TV Award for Best Directing in a Streaming Comedy Series (Only Christopher Miller) The Afterparty ("Yasper") Template:Nom
Hollywood Critics Association TV Award for Best Writing in a Streaming Comedy Series (Only Christopher Miller) The Afterparty ("Maggie") Template:Nom
2023 Honorary Degree, Doctor of Arts (Christopher Miller) Dartmouth College Template:Won
Honorary Degree, Doctor of Arts (Phil Lord) Template:Won
2024 Annie Award for Best Animated Feature Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Template:Won
Producers Guild of America Award for Best Animated Motion Picture (With Avi Arad, Amy Pascal and Christina Steinberg) Template:Won
BAFTA Award for Best Animated Film Template:Nom
Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film Template:Nom
Academy Award for Best Animated Feature (With Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson, and Amy Pascal) Template:Nom

See also

References

Template:Reflist

External links

Template:Commons category multi

Template:Phil Lord and Christopher Miller Template:Navboxes Template:Authority control

  1. ↑ Template:Cite news
  2. ↑ Template:Cite AV media
  3. ↑ Template:Cite AV media
  4. ↑ Template:Cite AV media
  5. ↑ Elder, Robert K. The Best Film You've Never Seen: 35 Directors Champion the Forgotten or Critically Savaged Movies They Love. Chicago, IL: Chicago Review, 2013. Print.
  6. ↑ Template:Cite magazine
  7. ↑ Template:Cite web
  8. ↑ Template:Cite news
  9. ↑ Template:Cite web
  10. ↑ Template:Cite news
  11. ↑ Template:Cite news
  12. ↑ Template:Cite magazine
  13. ↑ Template:Cite news
  14. ↑ Template:Cite news
  15. ↑ Template:Cite web
  16. ↑ Template:Cite news
  17. ↑ Template:Cite magazine
  18. ↑ Template:Cite news
  19. ↑ Template:Cite web
  20. ↑ Template:Cite web
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Template:Cite web
  22. ↑ Template:Cite tweet
  23. ↑ Template:Cite web
  24. ↑ Template:Cite news
  25. ↑ Template:Cite web
  26. ↑ Template:Cite web
  27. ↑ Template:Cite web
  28. ↑ Template:Cite web
  29. ↑ Template:Cite web
  30. ↑ Template:Cite web
  31. ↑ Template:Cite web
  32. ↑ Template:Cite news
  33. ↑ Template:Cite web
  34. ↑ Template:Cite news
  35. ↑ Template:Cite web
  36. ↑ Template:Cite web
  37. ↑ Template:Cite web
  38. ↑ Template:Cite web
  39. ↑ Template:Cite web
  40. ↑ Template:Cite web
  41. ↑ Template:Cite web
  42. ↑ Template:Cite web
  43. ↑ Template:Cite web
  44. ↑ Template:Cite web
  45. ↑ Template:Cite web
  46. ↑ Template:Cite web
  47. ↑ Template:Cite AV media
  48. ↑ Template:Cite AV media
  49. ↑ Template:Cite web
  50. ↑ 50.0 50.1 Template:Cite magazine
  51. ↑ Template:Cite magazine
  52. ↑ 52.0 52.1 52.2 Template:Cite web
  53. ↑ 72nd Annual Golden Globe® Awards Nominees Announced Template:Webarchive. Dickclark.com, Retrieved December 11, 2014.
  54. ↑ 54.0 54.1 54.2 Template:Cite web
  55. ↑ 55.0 55.1 Template:Cite web
  56. ↑ Template:Cite web
  57. ↑ Template:Cite magazine
Retrieved from "https://cartoonwiki.toonsmag.org/index.php?title=Phil_Lord_and_Christopher_Miller&oldid=176098"