Chris Appelhans

Christopher Appelhans (born ) He is best known as the writer and director of Wish Dragon and KPop Demon Hunters (2025), which he co-directed and wrote with Maggie Kang. The latter earned them two Annie Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and an Academy Award. He has also illustrated two children's books, A Greyhound, a Groundhog and Sparky!, the latter of which won the Children's Choice Book Award in 2015.

Early life and education Appelhans was born in Firth, Idaho, to Kristi and Anthony Appelhans. He grew up playing Dungeons & Dragons, and enjoyed writing and storytelling. While he also liked drawing as a part of storytelling, he was not passionate about it growing up. By the end of his studies, Appelhans became drawn to the idea of working on children's literature and film on the grounds that children judged works on merit rather than their creator. Shortly after, he pitched a live-action film to the executives at ImageMovers, who bought the idea and, at the direction of owner Robert Zemeckis, hired Appelhans to write the screenplay. In the following years, Appelhans sold and developed another screenplay for Laika, which was also not greenlit. The film is about a college student's encounter with a dragon who has the power to grant three wishes; it was based on his friendship with Michael Wu, a cousin of his colleague he met during a visit to China in 2014. and on Netflix internationally on June 11, 2021.

KPop Demon Hunters and subsequent success (2021–present) Following the production of Wish Dragon, its producer Aron Warner introduced Appelhans to Maggie Kang, who had first pitched Warner the idea that eventually became KPop Demon Hunters, an animated film about a K-pop girl group that hunts demons secretly. Appelhans had also worked with Kang's husband, Radford Sechrist, on Wish Dragon. According to Kang, she and Appelhans met over lunch and "bonded immediately"; He stated that he "always wanted to do a film about the power of music—to unite, bring joy, build community". Production wrapped four years later in 2025, and the film was released on Netflix on June 20, 2025. and eventually Netflix's most-watched title at 266 million views by September, overtaking the first season of Squid Game (2021).

In March 2026, Netflix and Sony Picture Animation announced that Appelhans and Kang will return to direct and write a sequel for KPop Demon Hunters, with plans for a release in 2029. Puck reported that, due to the success of the film, Kang and Appelhans successfully negotiated a five-year, $10 million per annum contract with Netflix for the sequel, which includes a share of ancillary revenue from the franchise.

Illustration career Aside from his work in film, Appelhans has also illustrated children's books. His first book was Sparky! by Jenny Offill, which won the Children's Choice Book Award in 2015. In 2017, he illustrated A Greyhound, a Groundhog, by Emily Jenkins.

Filmography YearTitleCredited asNotes Director Writer Storyboard artist Other 2006 Monster House Character designer, concept artist 2025 KPop Demon Hunters

Television shows Year Title Network Role Notes 2026 Welcome, First Time in Korea? MBC every1 Guest Travelers

Awards and nominations Year Award Category Work Result 2010 Annie Awards Production Design in a Feature Production Coraline – Chris Appelhans 2015 Children's Choice Book Awards Children's Choice Illustrator of the Year Sparky! – Chris Appelhans 2021 Golden Rooster AwardsBest Animated Feature Wish Dragon Ursa Major Awards Best Motion Picture Wish Dragon – Chris Appelhans 2025Alliance of Women Film Journalists Best Animated Feature KPop Demon Hunters IndieWire Honors Spark Award KPop Demon Hunters Korean Association of Film Critics Awards FIPRESCI Award (Foreign) KPop Demon Hunters SCAD AnimationFest Impact Award Toronto Film Critics Association Best Animated Feature World Animation Summit Movie of the Year Award 2026 Academy Awards Best Animated FeatureKPop Demon Hunters Annie Awards Best Direction – FeatureKPop Demon Hunters Best Writing – FeatureKPop Demon Hunters Astra Film Awards Best Animated FeatureKPop Demon Hunters Chicago Indie Critics Best Animated Film Critics' Choice Movie Awards Best Animated Feature Golden Globe Awards Best Motion Picture – Animated Hugo Awards Best Dramatic Presentation, Long FormKPop Demon Hunters Humanitas Prize Family Feature International Cinephile Society Best Animated FilmKPop Demon Hunters Latino Entertainment Journalists Association Best Animated Feature North Dakota Film SocietyKPop Demon Hunters

Listicles + Name of publisher, year listed, name of listicle, and placement Publisher Year Listicle Placement Creative 2026 Creative 100 Directors

Personal life Appelhans met author Maurene Goo while they were students at the ArtCenter College of Design.