Christopher DeFaria

Chris deFaria
DeFaria in 2018
Born	(1959-05-20) May 20, 1959 (age 65) San Francisco, California, US
Alma mater	University of California, Los Angeles
Occupation	Film producer
Years active	1969–1973 (voice actor) 1989–present (producer)
Children	3

Christopher DeFaria (born May 20, 1959) is an American film producer.^[1] He served as president of animation and innovative technology at Warner Bros. Pictures for four years. In January 2017, he joined DreamWorks Animation in the newly created position of president of the DreamWorks Feature Animation Group.^[2] As president, DeFaria oversaw all aspects of DWA's feature animation business, including slate strategy, development, production; innovation and technology; and business affairs^[2] prior to his departure in early 2019.^[3]

He is a graduate of UCLA, a member of the AMPAS and WGA and a founding member of FilmAid International. He serves on the board of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

Early life

DeFaria was born on May 20, 1959, at San Francisco, California, United States. DeFaria began his Hollywood career in 1969 as a voice actor playing the part of Peppermint Patty in Peanuts TV specials from the same year until 1973. He also has a sister, Gabrielle "Gai" DeFaria Ritter, who was previously Peppermint Patty's voice before he took over.^[4]

Career

DeFaria produced the film Tom & Jerry, and he also produced the film Coyote vs. Acme (alongside James Gunn).^[5]

Prior to establishing Keylight, Chris served as President of DreamWorks Animation where he led the studio’s creative development and technological advancement. Before that he was president of Digital Production and Innovative Technology at Warner Bros. where he founded Warner Animation Group, the studio’s animation division, developed VFX strategies for films like Harry Potter and The Matrix and oversaw initiatives in AI and VR.^{[citation needed]} 

Filmography

Producer

Year	Title	Notes
1991	...And Then She Was Gone	TV movie
1992	Amityville: It's About Time	Direct-to-video; Also writer
1993	Amityville: A New Generation
1995	Live Nude Girls	Co-producer
1996	Tremors 2: Aftershocks	Direct-to-video
2001	Cats & Dogs
2021	Tom & Jerry
N/A[6][7]	Coyote vs. Acme

Associate producer

Year	Title	Notes
1989	Double Your Pleasure	TV movie
1990	She Said No
	A Mom for Christmas
1991	What Ever Happened to...
	Locked Up: A Mother's Rage
1992	Day-O
	A Murderous Affair: The Carolyn Warmus Story
1993	Miracle Child
2020	The Young Witchfinder

Executive producer

• Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003)
• Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole (2010)
• Sucker Punch (2011)
• Happy Feet Two (2011)
• Gravity (2013)
• Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
• Ready Player One (2018)
• The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (2019) (Production executive)

Special thanks

• One Small Hero (1999)
• Trolls World Tour (2020)
• The Croods: A New Age (2020)

References

1. "Christopher DeFaria Filmography". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2016. Archived from the original on 2016-03-27.
2. "DreamWorks Animation Finds New Chief in Warner Bros. Veteran (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2017-01-12.
3. D'Alessandro, Anthony (January 9, 2019). "Chris deFaria Exiting DreamWorks Animation As President; DWA TV Boss Margie Cohn Takes Over". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
4. ""Peanuts" interview: Christopher deFaria (Peppermint Patty in Thanksgiving)". Noblemania. Blogger. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
5. "Coyote vs. Warner Bros. Discovery". npr.org. Sam Yellowhorse Kesler, Wailin Wong, Corey Bridges, Kate Concannon.
6. Bergeson, Samantha (2023-11-13). "Warner Bros. Will Let Coyote Vs. Acme Filmmakers Shop Movie to Other Distributors". IndieWire. Retrieved 2023-11-13.
7. Taylor, Drew (2024-02-09). "The Final Days of 'Coyote vs. Acme': Offers, Rejections and a Roadrunner Race Against Time | Exclusive". TheWrap. Retrieved 2024-02-09.

External links

• Christopher DeFaria at IMDb