Dean DeBlois
Dean Allan DeBlois (born June 7, 1970) is a Canadian filmmaker and animator. He is best known for co-writing and directing the Oscar-nominated animated feature films Lilo & Stitch (2002) for Walt Disney Animation Studios (with Chris Sanders), the How to Train Your Dragon original animated film series (2010–2019) for DreamWorks Animation (the first film also with Sanders), and directing the documentary Heima (2007) about the Icelandic band Sigur Rós. He also returned to write and direct the 2025 live action remake of How to Train Your Dragon.
Also recorded as Dean Allan DeBlois · Dean A. DeBlois
Dean DeBlois
Gage Skidmore · CC BY-SA 2.0
- Name
- Dean DeBlois
- Birth Name
- Dean Allan DeBlois
- Born
- 7 June 1970
- Birthplace
- Aylmer, Quebec, Canada
- Occupation
- * Director
- Full name
- Dean Allan DeBlois.
- Nationality
- Canada
- Fields
- animation
- Education
- Sheridan College
- Known for
- Lilo & Stitch · How to Train Your Dragon · How to Train Your Dragon 2 · How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
- Honours
- Annie Award
- Languages
- English
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Dean DeBlois (naissance : 7 juin 1970) figure dans les notices d'autorité comme scénariste, metteur en scène, artiste et dessinateur.
Vie
La naissance de Dean DeBlois est enregistrée le 7 juin 1970.
Institutions citées
Bibliothèque nationale de France · Deutsche Nationalbibliothek
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wikidata · Q1181049 · wikipedia · Dean DeBlois
In this article
Biography
Biography
Dean DeBlois studied at Sheridan College. The recorded working language is English. Subjects and genres recorded for the work are animation. Works named in the authority record are Lilo & Stitch, How to Train Your Dragon, How to Train Your Dragon 2 and How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World. Distinctions recorded are Annie Award.
Dean DeBlois au festival international du film d'animation d'Annecy 2019.
Boungawa
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Dean DeBlois • Birth Name — Dean Allan DeBlois • Born — 7 June 1970 • Birthplace — Aylmer, Quebec, Canada • Alma Mater — Sheridan College • Occupation — * Director • screenwriter • producer • animator • Years Active — 1988–present • Employer — * Sullivan Bluth Studios (1990–1994) • Walt Disney Animation Studios (1994–2007) • DreamWorks Animation (2007–present)
Early life
Early life
DeBlois was born and raised in Aylmer, Quebec, Canada. As a boy, he was interested in comic books, which he later said influenced his drawing ability, imagination and storytelling. Growing up in poverty, he would visit a nearby smoke shop on weekends, where the proprietor let him read comics for free. Memorizing them, he went home and drew. DeBlois attended Darcy McGee High School.
Career
Career
DeBlois began his career as an assistant animator and layout artist for Hinton Animation Studios/Lacewood Productions in Ottawa, Ontario, while simultaneously attending Sheridan College's two year Classical Animation program in Oakville, Ontario. From 1988 to 1990, DeBlois contributed to such productions as The Raccoons (TV series), The Teddy Bears' Picnic (TV special), and The Nutcracker Prince (feature animated film). Upon graduation from Sheridan College in 1990, DeBlois was hired by Sullivan Bluth Studios in Dublin, Ireland. There, he worked as a layout artist, character designer, and storyboard assistant to Don Bluth on such feature animated films as A Troll in Central Park and Thumbelina. In 1994, DeBlois left Dublin for Los Angeles to begin work for Walt Disney Feature Animation as a storyboard artist, where he worked alongside his frequent collaborator, Chris Sanders, as Head of Story on Mulan. Shortly thereafter, they re-teamed to create Lilo & Stitch. DeBlois left production on Atlantis: The Lost Empire in order to work on Lilo & Stitch. Following its release in 2002, DeBlois sold several original live action feature film projects to write, direct, and produce, including an Irish ghost story titled The Banshee and Finn Magee, a psychological thriller titled The Lighthouse (not to be confused with the 2016 and 2019 films titled The Lighthouse) and a family adventure series titled Sightings, which were optioned at Walt Disney Pictures, Touchstone Pictures, and Universal Studios respectively. DeBlois' feature-length music documentary film Heima chronicles the homecoming concert of Iceland's Sigur Rós. In October 2008, DeBlois returned to feature animation to co-write and co-direct DreamWorks Animation's then-troubled How to Train Your Dragon, once again re-teaming with Sanders. The duo re-envisioned the film's story and shepherded the production to its March 2010 release. The resulting film became the studio's top-grossing film in North America outside of the Shrek franchise. During that same time, DeBlois also directed another feature-length music film for Sigur Rós front-man Jónsi, entitled Go Quiet, as well as a feature-length concert film entitled Jónsi: Live at The Wiltern. DeBlois wrote and directed the fantasy/action film How to Train Your Dragon 2, a sequel to the original, which was released on June 13, 2014, followed by How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World on February 22, 2019. On September 23, 2019, DeBlois was attached to write and direct a film adaptation of the Micronauts. In February 2023, a live-action adaptation of How to Train Your Dragon was announced, with DeBlois set to write and direct, making the film his live action debut.
Personal life
Personal life
DeBlois is openly gay, and told The Advocate that people in the industry "knew that one of us was gay" but mistakenly assumed it was his heterosexual writing partner Chris Sanders, because DeBlois "hobbled in there looking like a redneck".
Producer only
Producer only
• Title — Year — Notes • Gift of the Night Fury — 2011 — Executive producer Direct-to-video short • The Other Side of the Wind — 2018 — Co-producer • The Wild Robot — 2024 — Executive producer
Animation department
Animation department
• Title — Year — Notes • The Teddy Bears' Picnic (short direct-to-TV) — 1989 — assistant animator • The Nutcracker Prince — 1990 — assistant animator / layout artist • Thumbelina — 1994 — layout artist • The Lion King • A Troll in Central Park • Atlantis: The Lost Empire — 2001 — story artist
Acting only
Acting only
• Title — Year — Notes • How to Train Your Dragon — 2025 — Fat viking warrior
Television series
Television series
• Title — Year — Credited as — Notes • The Raccoons — 1989 — assistant animator — 9 episodes • Quack Pack — 1996 — character designer / storyboard artist / prop designer — 7 episodes • Histeria! — 1998–1999 — storyboard artist — 17 episodes
Films
• Title — Year — Director — Writer — Producer — Notes • Mulan — 1998 — Story — credited as "Story Co-Head" • Lilo & Stitch — 2002 — alongside Chris Sanders • Heima (documentary) — 2007 — also camera operator • How to Train Your Dragon — 2010 — alongside Chris Sanders • Go Quiet (direct-to-video short) — also camera operator & editor • How to Train Your Dragon 2 — 2014 — Executive • How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World — 2019 — Executive • How to Train Your Dragon — 2025 — Executive — live action debut • How to Train Your Dragon 2 — 2027 — Executive — Filming
Selected awards and nominations
• Ceremony — Year — Category — Nominated work — Result — Ref. Reference • 3D Creative Arts Awards — 2015 — Best Feature Film – Animation — How to Train Your Dragon 2 • Best Stereoscopic Feature Film – Animation • Academy Awards — 2003 — Best Animated Feature — Lilo & Stitch • 2011 — How to Train Your Dragon • 2015 — How to Train Your Dragon 2 • 2020 — How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World • Annie Awards — 2003 — Outstanding Directing in a Feature Production — Lilo & Stitch • Outstanding Writing in a Feature Production • 2011 — Outstanding Directing in a Feature Production — How to Train Your Dragon • Outstanding Writing in a Feature Production • 2015 — Best Animated Feature — How to Train Your Dragon 2 • Outstanding Achievement for Directing in a Feature Production • Outstanding Achievement for Writing in an Animated Feature Production • 2020 — Best Animated Feature — How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World • Outstanding Achievement for Writing in an Animated Feature Production • British Academy Children's Awards — 2014 — Kid's Vote — Film — How to Train Your Dragon 2 • Feature Film • BAFTA Awards — 2011 — Best Animated Film — How to Train Your Dragon • Chicago Film Critics Association Awards — 2014 — Best Animated Film — How to Train Your Dragon 2 • 2019 — How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World • Critics' Choice Movie Awards — 2003 — Best Animated Feature — Lilo & Stitch • 2011 — How to Train Your Dragon • 2015 — How to Train Your Dragon 2 • 2020 — How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World • Detroit Film Critics Society Awards — 2019 — Best Animated Feature • Florida Film Critics Circle Awards — 2014 — Best Animated Film — How to Train Your Dragon 2 • 2019 — How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World • Georgia Film Critics Association Awards — 2015 — Best Animated Feature — How to Train Your Dragon 2 • 2020 — How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World • Golden Globe Awards — 2011 — Best Animated Feature Film — How to Train Your Dragon • 2015 — How to Train Your Dragon 2 • 2020 — How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World • Hollywood Film Awards — 2014 — Hollywood Animation Award — How to Train Your Dragon 2 • Hollywood Critics Association Awards — 2020 — Best Animated Film — How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World • Houston Film Critics Society Awards — 2015 — Best Animated Film — How to Train Your Dragon 2 • 2020 — How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World • International Cinephile Society Awards — 2015 — Best Animated Film — How to Train Your Dragon 2 • Movieguide Awards — 2020 — Best Movie for Families — How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World • National Board of Review Awards — 2014 — Best Animated Film — How to Train Your Dragon 2 • 2019 — How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World • Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards — 2015 — Favorite Animated Movie — How to Train Your Dragon 2 • Online Film Critics Society Awards — 2014 — Best Animated Film • 2020 — How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World • People's Choice Awards — 2015 — Favorite Family Movie — How to Train Your Dragon 2 • 2019 — How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World • Producers Guild of America Awards — 2015 — Best Animated Motion Picture — How to Train Your Dragon 2 • San Diego Film Critics Society Awards — 2014 — Best Animated Film • 2019 — How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World • San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle Awards — 2019 — Best Animated Feature • San Francisco Film Critics Circle Awards — 2014 — Best Animated Feature — How to Train Your Dragon 2 • Satellite Awards — 2015 — Best Animated or Mixed Media Feature • 2019 — How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World • Saturn Awards — 2015 — Best Animated Film — How to Train Your Dragon 2 • 2019 — How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World • Seattle Film Critics Society Awards — 2019 — Best Animated Feature • Seattle International Film Festival Awards — 2014 — Golden Space Needle Award – Best Film — How to Train Your Dragon 2 • St. Louis Film Critics Association Awards — 2014 — Best Animated Feature • 2019 — How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World • Toronto Film Critics Association Awards — 2014 — Best Animated Film — How to Train Your Dragon 2 • 2019 — How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World • Visual Effects Society Awards — 2015 — Outstanding Visual Effects in an Animated Feature — How to Train Your Dragon 2 • Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards — 2014 — Best Animated Feature — How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World • 2019
Text attribution
Licensing
Text attribution
Part of the biographical narrative on this page reuses licensed material. Its origin, revision and licence are recorded here.
The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Dean DeBlois, revision 1367703579 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
Notes from the source article
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.Lilo & Stitch - WGA Directory. Writers Guild of America West.
- 2.How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World - DreamWorks Tour. Jabba's Movies. 8 January 2019.
- 3.Tribute Entertainment Media Group. Dean DeBlois Biography. Tribute.
- 4.Lovece, Frank. 'How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World' brings the franchise to its end. Newsday. 14 February 2019.
- 5.Lu, Alexander. Interviews: Dean DeBlois and Richard Hamilton Reimagine Berk in "How to Train Your Dragon" GNs. Comics Beat. 21 October 2015.
- 6.Radulovic, Petrana. 'We're going to hide it': How Lilo & Stitch succeeded by staying off Disney's radar. Polygon. September 16, 2021.
- 7.FMX. Dean DeBlois, DreamWorks Animation, Writer / Director / Executive Producer.
- 8.United States Copyright Office. Registration record PAU002592135 - The Banshee and Finn Magee. May 23, 2001.
- 9.Kit, Borys. 'Lighthouse' turns on Touchstone. The Hollywood Reporter. March 21, 2006.
- 10.Snyder, Gabriel. U sets sights on 'Sightings'. Variety. July 27, 2006.
- 11.Box Office Mojo. DreamWorks Animation.
- 12.Kit, Borys. 'How to Train Your Dragon' Filmmaker Dean DeBlois Tackling 'Micronauts' for Paramount, Hasbro (Exclusive). The Hollywood Reporter. September 23, 2019.
- 13.Steele, Bruce C. Disney dude: Dean DeBlois, the out codirector of Lilo & Stitch, talks about making a cartoon supporting alternative families, including extraterrestrials who do drag. The Advocate. 52. July 9, 2002.
- 14.Taylor, Drew. Director Chris Sanders Returns to DreamWorks Animation With 'The Wild Robot' (Exclusive). TheWrap. 28 September 2023.
- 15.Giardina, Carolyn. How to Train Your Dragon 2, Boxtrolls, Planet of the Apes Get 3D Society Nods. The Hollywood Reporter. January 20, 2015.
- 16.Giardina, Carolyn. Guardians of the Galaxy, T.S. Spivet Among 3D Society Award Winners. The Hollywood Reporter. January 28, 2015.
- 17.Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The 75th Academy Awards 2003. October 5, 2014.
- 18.Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The 83rd Academy Awards 2011. October 7, 2014.
- 19.Oscars 2015: The Winners List. The Hollywood Reporter. February 22, 2015.
- 20.Oscars: The Complete Winners List. The Hollywood Reporter. February 9, 2020.
- 21.ASIFA-Hollywood. 30th Annie Awards.
- 22.ASIFA-Hollywood. 38th Annie Awards.
- 23.Complete list of Annie Award 2014 nominees. Los Angeles Times. December 1, 2014.
- 24.Klaus Wins Big at Annie Awards for Animation. The Hollywood Reporter. January 25, 2020.
- 25.Wolfe, Jennifer. Gumball Gets Fourth Consecutive BAFTA Children's Award Nomination. Animation World Network. October 21, 2014.
- 26.Fletcher, Harry. Katie Morag wins twice at BAFTA Children's Awards 2014. Digital Spy. November 24, 2014.
- 27.British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Chris Sanders – Awards Database.
- 28.Dietz, Jason. Best of 2014: Film Awards & Nominations Scorecard. Metacritic. December 1, 2014.
- 29.Once Upon a Time . in Hollywood Leads Chicago Critics Nominations. RogerEbert.com. December 12, 2019.
- 30.Bennett, Anita. Chicago Film Critics Give Best Picture To Parasite And Best Director To Bong Joon Ho. Deadline Hollywood. December 14, 2019.
- 31.Critics Choice Association. The 8th Critics' Choice Movie Awards Winners and Nominees.
- 32.Alexander, Bryan. 'Black Swan' Leads Critics' Choice With Record 12 Nominations. The Hollywood Reporter. December 13, 2010.
- 33.Critics' Choice Awards: The Winners. The Hollywood Reporter. January 15, 2015.
- 34.Nordyke, Kimberly. Critics' Choice Awards: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Named Best Picture; Full Winners List. The Hollywood Reporter. January 12, 2020.
- 35.Marini, Miriam. Detroit Film Critics Society announces 2019 winners. WDIV-TV. December 9, 2019.
- 36.Adams, Ryan. Florida Film Critics Circle Nominations. Awards Daily. February 3, 2015.
- 37.Persall, Steve. Florida Film Critics Circle picks winners. Tampa Bay Times. December 20, 2014.
- 38.Dietz, Jason. Best of 2019: Film Awards & Nominations Scorecard. Metacritic. December 3, 2019.
- 39.Zusel, Yvonne. Georgia Film Critics Association awards the best movies of 2014. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. January 9, 2015.
- 40.Golden Globe Foundation. How to Train Your Dragon.
- 41.Golden Globes: The Complete Winners List. The Hollywood Reporter. January 11, 2015.
- 42.Golden Globes: The Complete Winners List. The Hollywood Reporter. January 5, 2020.
- 43.Blake, Emily. Hollywood Film Awards 2014: And the winners are. Entertainment Weekly. November 14, 2014.
- 44.Birdman leads Houston Film Critics nominations for 8th Annual Awards. Houston Chronicle. December 17, 2014.
- 45.Luman, Betty. Boyhood dominates Houston Film Critics Society Awards. Houston Chronicle. January 12, 2015.
- 46.Haar, Pete Vonder. It's Hooray For Hollywood (and Marriage) As The Houston Film Critics Society Announces Its 2019 Nominees. Houston Press. December 20, 2019.
- 47.Darling, Cary. Houston critics name Parasite best film. Houston Chronicle. January 3, 2020.
- 48.Borden, J.D. If Only The Oscars Looked Like These Award Nominations. IndieWire. February 3, 2015.
- 49.Anderson, Erik. International Cinephile Society (ICS) Awards: Stranger by the Lake is Top Film of 2014. AwardsWatch. February 20, 2015.
- 50.Howard, Annie. The Lego Movie 2, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood Take Top Prizes at Movieguide Awards. The Hollywood Reporter. February 25, 2020.
- 51.Lewis, Hilary. A Most Violent Year Named Best Film by National Board of Review. The Hollywood Reporter. December 2, 2014.
- 52.Lewis, Hilary. The Irishman Named Best Film by National Board of Review. The Hollywood Reporter. December 3, 2019.
- 53.Full List: Winners, 2015 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards. Rappler. March 29, 2015.
- 54.Boyhood, Grand Budapest lead with online film critics nominations. Uproxx. December 8, 2014.
- 55.Lattanzio, Ryan. Grand Budapest Hotel Named Best Picture by Online Film Critics. IndieWire. December 15, 2014.
- 56.People's Choice Awards 2015: Full Winners List. Variety. January 7, 2015.
- 57.Nordyke, Kimberly. People's Choice Awards: Avengers: Endgame Named Best Movie. The Hollywood Reporter. November 10, 2019.
- 58.Block, Alex Ben. PGA Awards: Birdman Takes Top Film Award. The Hollywood Reporter. January 22, 2015.
- 59.Pond, Steve. Satellite Awards: Complete Winners List. TheWrap. February 16, 2015.
- 60.Blake, Emily. 2015 Saturn Awards: Captain America: Winter Soldier, Walking Dead lead nominees. Entertainment Weekly. March 4, 2015.
- 61.Anderton, Ethan. 2019 Saturn Awards Winners: Avengers: Endgame Dominates with Six Total Awards. /Film. September 14, 2019.
- 62.Stedman, Alex. Boyhood Wins Best Film at Seattle Film Fest: Full Winners List. Variety. June 8, 2014.
- 63.Birdman, Grand Budapest lead St. Louis film critics nominations. Uproxx. December 11, 2014.
- 64.St. Louis critics award Boyhood, Jake Gyllenhaal, Rosamund Pike. Uproxx. December 15, 2014.
- 65.Patches, Matt. Guess what? Toronto critics love Boyhood too. Uproxx. December 16, 2014.
- 66.Samhan, Jamie. Marriage Story And Booksmart Among Winners From The Toronto Film Critics Association Awards. Entertainment Tonight Canada. December 8, 2019.
- 67.Visual Effects Society Awards Nominations Announced. Deadline Hollywood. January 13, 2015.
- 68.Pedersen, Erik. VES Awards: Apes Wins Top Live-Action Movie Prize; Big Hero 6 Leads All With Five Nods. Deadline Hollywood. February 4, 2015.
References
Citations
References
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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 27 August 2026.
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