Dean Wellins

• Name — Dean Wellins • Birth Name — Dean Wellins • Born — 24 March 1971 • Birthplace — Zaragoza, Spain • Education — CalArts • Occupation — * Film director • Storyboard artist • Screenwriter • Animator • Employer — * Turner Feature Animation (1990–1994) • Renegade Animation (1994–1996) • Warner Bros. Animation (1996–2000) • Walt Disney Animation Studios (2000–2022) • The SPA Studios (2022–2023) • PaperGames Animation (2023–present) • Years Active — 1990−present Dean Wellins (born March 24, 1971) is an American film director, storyboard artist, screenwriter, and animator. He is best known for his work at Walt Disney Animation Studios, including directing the short film Tick Tock Tale (2010), co-directing the feature film Raya and the Last Dragon (2021), and directing several episodes of the streaming series Baymax! (2022).

Dean Wellins was born in Zaragoza, Spain, on March 24, 1971. From 1990 to 1992, he was enrolled at CalArts.

In 1990, he began his career at Turner Feature Animation's internship program as a character breakdown artist for The Pagemaster (1994). In 1994, he worked at Renegade Animation as a character animator on Gargoyles: The Game (1995). In 1996, he moved to Warner Bros. Animation where he worked as an animator on The Iron Giant (1999), which got him nominated at the 27th Annie Awards for "Outstanding Achievement for Character Animation in a Feature Production" and "Outstanding Achievement for Storyboarding in a Feature Production". In 1999, he served as a supervising animator on Osmosis Jones (2001) and Duck Dogers (2003). In August 2000, he moved to Walt Disney Animation Studios where he served as a character animator on Treasure Planet (2002) and a story artist on Chicken Little (2005). In 2006, he served as a story artist on Bolt (2008). In April 2007, he signed on to direct the Disney animated film Tangled (2010), alongside Glen Keane. However, in October 2008, it was reported that he had left the film as director, but remained as a story artist, prior to pitching "three new ideas for one of [Disney's] future feature projects". By 2009, he directed the short film Tick Tock Tale (2010) and served as a character animator on The Princess and the Frog (2009). During the 2010s, he served as a story artist on several Disney films, including Wreck-It Ralph (2012), Frozen (2013), Tomorrowland (2015), Big Hero 6 (2014), Zootopia (2016), Moana (2016), and Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018). In October 2018, he was set to direct a film titled Dragon Empire, alongside Paul Briggs. In August 2020, Disney announced that Don Hall and Carlos López Estrada replaced Wellins and Briggs as directors on the film, retitled Raya and the Last Dragon (2021), with Wellins and Briggs demoted to co-directors. Story writer John Ripa later replaced Wellins as a co-director, with Wellins only credited as a story writer in the final film. In 2022, he made his directorial debut when he directed 3 episodes of the Disney+ streaming series Baymax!. In the same year, he left Disney to join The SPA Studios where he would serve as co-director and head of story on Sergio Pablos' feature film Ember, to be released by Netflix. However, by December 2022, Netflix canceled the project due to its lengthy production. By 2023, Wellins moved to PaperGames Animation where he would direct an upcoming feature film based on the Nikki Nuannuan video game series.

• Year — Title — Director — Story Artist — Other — Notes — Ref(s) • 1997 — What a Cartoon! — Composer and animation consultant Episode: "Strange Things" • 101 Dalmatians: The Series — Character designer Episode: "Artist Formerly Known as Spot" / "Nose Knows" • 1998–2000 — Histeria! — 12 episodes • 2000 — Buzz Lightyear of Star Command — Episode: "Strange Invasion" • 2003 — Duck Dogers — Additional story material 2 episodes • 2022 — Baymax! — 3 episodes

• Year — Title — Notes — Ref(s) • 1995 — Gargoyles: The Game — Character animator: "Goliath"

• Award — Date — Category — Title — Result — Ref(s) • Annie Awards — November 6, 1999 — Outstanding Achievement for Character Animation in a Feature Production — The Iron Giant • Outstanding Achievement for Storyboarding in a Feature Production — The Iron Giant • November 11, 2001 — Outstanding Achievement for Character Animation in a Feature Production — Osmosis Jones • February 4, 2017 — Outstanding Achievement for Storyboarding in a Feature Production — Zootopia • Children's and Family Emmy Awards — December 16–17, 2023 — Outstanding Directing for an Animated Program — Baymax! • Visual Effects Society Awards — February 19, 2011 — Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Short — Tick Tock Tale

• Year — Title — Director — Story Artist — Story Writer — Animator — Other — Notes — Ref(s) • 1994 — The Pagemaster — Character breakdown artist • 1998 — The Iron Giant — Character — Music: "Duck and Cover" • 2001 — Osmosis Jones — Character — Character: "Thrax" • 2002 — Treasure Planet — Character — Character: "Jim Hawkins" • Eight Crazy Nights • 2004 — Fat Albert • 2005 — Chicken Little • 2008 — Bolt • 2009 — The Princess and the Frog — Additional story material — Character — Character: "Dr. Facilier" • 2010 — Tangled — Replaced — Additional story material — Replaced during development • 2012 — Wreck-It Ralph • 2013 — Free Birds — Character designer • Frozen • 2014 — Big Hero 6 — Creative leadership • 2015 — Tomorrowland • 2016 — Zootopia • Moana — Creative leadership • 2018 — Ralph Breaks the Internet — Additional voices; Creative leadership • 2021 — Raya and the Last Dragon — Replaced — Replaced during production; Studio & creative leadership • Encanto — Creative leadership • TBA — Untitled Nikki Nuannuan film — In production

• Year — Title — Director — Animator — Writer — Voice Role — Ref(s) • 1997 — Pullet Surprise — Story • 2010 — Tick Tock Tale — Thief / Bobby • 2015 — The Dunk to End All Dunks