Cal Brunker
Cal Brunker is a Canadian animator, storyboard artist, and filmmaker. He is best known for directing The Weinstein Company's animated film Escape from Planet Earth (2013), The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature (2017), Nickelodeon's Paw Patrol: The Movie (2021) and its sequels Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie (2023) and Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie (2026), all of which he co-wrote with his business partner Bob Barlen.
Also recorded as Callan Brunker
Cal Brunker
- Name
- Cal Brunker
- Occupation
- * Animator
- Born
- 1978 · Canada.
- Nationality
- Canada
- Fields
- film direction · literature
- Education
- Sheridan College
- Languages
- English
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Cal Brunker is a Canadian animator, storyboard artist, and filmmaker. He is best known for directing The Weinstein Company's animated film Escape from Planet Earth (2013), The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature (2017), Nickelodeon's Paw Patrol: The Movie (2021) and its sequels Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie (2023) and Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie (2026), all of which he co-wrote with his business partner Bob Barlen.
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Cal Brunker (born 1978) is a Canadian animator, director and film producer, among other activities. The animator was born in Canada.
Cal Brunker studied at Sheridan College. The animator is active in film direction and literature. Languages used include English.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 01 October 2026
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In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Cal Brunker • Occupation — * Animator • storyboard artist • screenwriter • film director • film producer • Years Active — 2002–present
Career
Career
Cal Brunker has frequently collaborated with his partner Bob Barlen since 2009's Ollie & the Baked Halibut. Before his directorial debut with Ninjamaica and then 2013's Escape from Planet Earth, Brunker has worked as a storyboard artist and an animator on films such as Looney Tunes: Back in Action, Horton Hears a Who!, and Despicable Me. He directed films such as Escape from Planet Earth and The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature. Brunker and Barlen have written screenplays for Arctic Dogs, Cranston Academy: Monster Zone, and The Son of Bigfoot in which they co-executive produced. He also directed the film Paw Patrol: The Movie, a feature film adaptation of the Nick Jr. Channel's Paw Patrol animated series. Serving as the director and co-writer and once more collaborating with Barlen alongside Billy Frolick, it was produced by Spin Master and Nickelodeon Movies, and released by Paramount Pictures in August 2021. By May 2026, Brunker wrote the screenplay for Doctor Dolittle: King of the Wild, an animated reimagining of the Dr. Dolittle franchise, for Sycamore Studios.
Television
Television
• Year — Title — Role • 2005 — Cyberchase — Designer • 2009 — Ninjamaica — Director Storyboard artist Television film Directional debut • 2009–2010 — Spliced — Storyboard artist
Film
• Year — Title — Role • 2003 — Looney Tunes: Back in Action — Clean-up in-between artist • 2005 — Kronk's New Groove — Animator Direct-to-video • 2008 — Horton Hears a Who! — Storyboard artist • 2009 — Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs • 9 • Ollie and the Baked Halibut — Animator Short film • 2010 — Jonah Hex — Pre-visualization • Despicable Me — Storyboard artist • 2012 — Ice Age: Continental Drift — Additional storyboard artist • 2013 — Escape from Planet Earth — Director Writer (with Bob Barlen) • 2015 — Minions — Additional storyboard artist • 2016 — Ratchet & Clank — Storyboard artist Designer • The Secret Life of Pets — Storyboard artist • 2017 — The Son of Bigfoot — Writer & co-executive producers (with Bob Barlen) • The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature — Director Writer (with Bob Barlen and Scott Bindley) Voice of Charming Chipmunk • 2019 — The Puppet Master — Director Writer (with Bob Barlen) Short film • Arctic Dogs — Writer (with Bob Barlen, Matt Lyon, Aaron Woodley, and Bryan Thompson) • 2020 — Cranston Academy: Monster Zone — Writer (with Bob Barlen) • Bigfoot Family — Writer (with Bob Barlen) Executive producers • 2021 — Paw Patrol: The Movie — Director Writer (with Bob Barlen and Billy Frolick) • 2023 — Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie — Director Writer (with Bob Barlen) • 2026 — Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie — Director Writer (with Bob Barlen) Upcoming film • TBA — Doctor Dolittle: King of the Wild — Writer (with Bob Barlen) Upcoming film
Primary material
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reference work
- “Cal Brunker”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q23553923: Cal Brunker
General reference · Wikidata
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Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.About Cal & Bob. Cal & Bob. December 21, 2012.
- 2.Grater, Tom. Jamie Bell, Ruby Rose To Voice Animation 'Cranston Academy: Monster Zone' For DDI – AFM. Deadline. 1 November 2019.
- 3.Galuppo, Mia. 'PAW Patrol' Feature Coming From Paramount, Spin Master. The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media, LLC. 21 February 2020.
- 4.Jacob, Arushi. 'Doctor Dolittle: King of the Wild' Begins Production Under Sycamore Studios and Reel FX Animation (EXCLUSIVE). Variety. May 12, 2026.
- 5.D'Alessandro, Anthony. Spin Master & Paramount's 'Paw Patrol 3' Unveils Title. Deadline Hollywood. February 27, 2025.
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 19 August 2026.
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