Chris McKay

Christopher McKay (born November 11, 1973) is an American filmmaker and animator. He is best known for directing and editing three seasons of Robot Chicken and two seasons of Moral Orel. He made his feature directorial debut with The Lego Batman Movie, and has also directed The Tomorrow War (2021), and Renfield (2023).

Early life and education McKay was born in Winter Park, Florida, but spent most of his childhood in Chicago, Illinois. Growing up, McKay was inspired by Alfred Hitchcock films and decided to pursue film. He shot his earliest work on his parents' Super 8 film camera. McKay attended Southern Illinois University for two years as a film student, and completed his degree at Columbia College Chicago. While studying in Chicago, McKay attended his first film shoot for the 1989 comedy Uncle Buck.

Film In 2011, Warner Bros. Pictures hired McKay to join directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller on The Lego Movie to co-direct the film's animation, the film was released domestically on February 7, 2014, and grossed over $468 million against a reported budget of $60 million. While Lord and Miller were working on 22 Jump Street, they sent McKay to Australia to supervise all animation, editing, effects, lighting and rendering of The Lego Movie.

In March 2014, Warner Bros. set McKay to direct the sequel to the 2014 hit The Lego Movie, which Lord and Miller would produce, and Michelle Morgan and Jared Stern would write. On October 10, WB announced the spin-off film The Lego Batman Movie, pushing back The Lego Movie sequel and fast-tracking development. McKay directed The Lego Batman Movie, which was released on February 10, 2017. Seth Grahame-Smith co-wrote the screenplay, while Will Arnett reprised the voice of Batman. In March 2015, McKay signed a first-look deal for being a producer with Warner Bros.

McKay was developing and was attached to direct Nightwing, as a part of the DC Extended Universe, and was also set to direct an adaptation of Jonny Quest as well as a sequel to The Lego Batman Movie titled Lego Superfriends. However, Lego Superfriends was canceled following Universal's acquisition of the Lego film rights. In September 2019, McKay was set to direct Reborn for Netflix. He, alongside Jon and Josh Silberman, was set to produce the live-action/animation film Coyote vs. Acme, based on Looney Tunes character Wile E. Coyote and directed by Dave Green. However, he departed the project by December 2020.

In 2021, it was announced that McKay would replace Dexter Fletcher as director of the film Renfield from a screenplay by Ryan Ridley from a pitch by Robert Kirkman. It had its world premiere in New Orleans on March 30, 2023, and was released in US theaters on April 14, 2023, by Universal Pictures.

Filmography Film

Director 2wks, 1yr (2002) The Lego Batman Movie (2017) The Tomorrow War (2021) Renfield (2023)

Producer The Lego Ninjago Movie (2017) Renfield (2023)

Executive producer The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (2019)

Writer Year Title Notes 2002 2wks, 1yr 2020 Dolittle Writer for reshoots (Uncredited) 2023 Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves Story only

Editor It's Now... or NEVER! (1995) 35 Miles from Normal (1998) Stricken (1998) Bullet on a Wire (1998) Kwik Stop (2001) 2wks, 1yr (2002) The Lego Movie (2014) (Also animation co-director and supervisor)

Television Year Title Director Producer Writer Notes 2006–2008 Moral Orel 19 episodes (director);33 episodes (producer);1 episode (writer) 2007–2011 Robot Chicken 42 episodes (director);27 episodes (producer) 2009 Titan Maximum 9 episodes (director);9 episodes (producer) 2010 Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode III TV special

Technical credits Year Title Animator Editor VFX artist Notes 2005–2009 Robot Chicken 21 episodes (animation editor);25 episodes (editor);2 episodes (VFX artist) 2005–2007 Moral Orel 2 episodes (animation editor);15 episodes (editor);1 episode (VFX artist) 2007 The Sarah Silverman Program Episode "Batteries" Robot Chicken: Star Wars TV special 2009 Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II Titan Maximum 7 episodes (animation editor);5 episodes (title sequence design)