Michael Rianda
Born
Michael Rianda

(1984-06-17) June 17, 1984 (age 39)
Salinas, California, U.S.
Alma materCalifornia Institute of the Arts (BFA)
Occupations
  • Cartoonist
  • director
  • screenwriter
  • voice actor
Years active2008–present
Notable creditThe Mitchells vs. the Machines

Michael Rianda (born June 17, 1984) is an American cartoonist, director, screenwriter, and voice actor. He is known for his work on Gravity Falls as a creative director and writer for season 1, and creative consultant for season 2. He is also known for directing, co-writing, and co-starring his feature directorial debut The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021), for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.[1][2][3][4]

Early life and education

Rianda was born on June 17, 1984, in Salinas, California. He attended the California Institute of the Arts after he "drew and said amusing things" in school, studying character animation. Rianda also started writing and directing two short films at the animation school titled Everybody Dies in 90 Seconds (2008) and Work (2010).[5]

Career

He became a creative director and writer on the Emmy Award-winning Disney Channel animated television series Gravity Falls until his departure in 2013. Mike also voiced Lee, Thompson, Mr. Poolcheck, and additional voices. Rianda later returned and served as a creative consultant for its second season.

In 2021, he directed and co-wrote, along with Jeff Rowe, The Mitchells vs. the Machines,[6] in which he also voiced Aaron Mitchell. The film was released on Netflix on April 30, 2021.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Director Writer Other Voice Notes
2021 The Mitchells vs. the Machines Yes Yes Yes Aaron Mitchell / Talking Dog / Furbies / Wi-Fi Enthusiast
2023 Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse No No Yes Ezekiel Sims / Spider-Therapist; cameo Production consultant[7]
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem No No Yes Wants a Paycheck Goon / Chop Shop Boss / Ratatouille Guard
TBA I, Chihuahua No Story No — [8]

Television

Year Title Writer Other Voice Notes
2012–2016 Gravity Falls Yes Yes Lee, Thompson, Mr. Poolcheck, Additional Voices Creative director (season 1)
Creative consultant (season 2)
2021 Inside Job No Yes — Consultant (episode: "Unpresidented")
2022 Amphibia No Yes — Special thanks (episode: "The Hardest Thing")

Awards and nominations

Association Year Category Work Result Ref(s)
Academy Awards 2022 Best Animated Feature The Mitchells vs. the Machines Nominated [9]
Annie Awards 2022 Outstanding Achievement for Directing in an Animated Feature The Mitchells vs. the Machines Won [10]
2022 Outstanding Achievement in Writing for an Animated Feature The Mitchells vs. the Machines Won [11]
Hollywood Critics Association Midseason Awards 2022 Best Filmmaker The Mitchells vs. the Machines Nominated
2022 Best Screenplay The Mitchells vs. the Machines Won [12]
Critics' Choice Movie Awards 2022 Best Animated Feature The Mitchells vs. the Machines Won [13]
British Academy Film Awards 2022 Best Animated Film The Mitchells vs. the Machines Nominated [14]
British Academy Children's Awards 2022 Best Feature Film The Mitchells vs. the Machines Nominated [15]

References

  1. ^ Variety "Mike Rianda Drills Down on Sony’s ‘Connected’"
  2. ^ Escandon, Rosa (April 26, 2021). "Director Mike Rianda Talks New Movie 'The Mitchells Vs. The Machines'". Forbes. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  3. ^ Animation Magazine "‘The Mitchells vs. the Machines’ Connects with Critics"
  4. ^ Collider "‘The Mitchells vs. The Machines’ Director Reveals the Film Has a Secret Robot Language"
  5. ^ "MICHAEL RIANDA | Sony Pictures Animation". stg.sonypicturesanimation.com. Archived from the original on May 6, 2023. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
  6. ^ "Mike Rianda On The Six-Year Journey Of The Mitchells Vs. The Machines". theplaylist.net. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
  7. ^ Sony Pictures Animation (April 4, 2023). ".@michaelrianda cinematic universe". Twitter. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
  8. ^ "with story warriors like @JustChris,@_AlexHirsch and @michaelrianda in your corner you just can't lose!". Twitter. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
  9. ^ Lewis, Kimberly Nordyke,Hilary; Nordyke, Kimberly; Lewis, Hilary (February 8, 2022). "Oscars: Full List of Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 18, 2023.((cite web)): CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  10. ^ Hipes, Patrick (March 13, 2022). "Annie Awards: 'The Mitchells Vs. The Machines', 'Arcane' Dominate; 'Flee' Takes Best Indie Film – Full Winners List". Deadline. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
  11. ^ Hipes, Patrick (March 13, 2022). "Annie Awards: 'The Mitchells Vs. The Machines', 'Arcane' Dominate; 'Flee' Takes Best Indie Film – Full Winners List". Deadline. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
  12. ^ @HCAcritics (July 1, 2021). "The 2021 #HCAMidseasonAwards Winner for Best Screenplay is... The Mitchells vs. The Machines (Netflix / Sony Pictures Animation) - Michael Rianda & Jeff Rowe" (Tweet). Retrieved January 18, 2023 – via Twitter.
  13. ^ Hammond, Pete (December 13, 2021). "Critics Choice Awards Film Nominations Led By 'Belfast' And 'West Side Story'". Deadline. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
  14. ^ Ravindran, Manori (February 3, 2022). "BAFTA Awards Nominations Unveiled: 'Dune,' 'Power of the Dog' Lead Field, Will Smith Earns First BAFTA Nod". Variety. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
  15. ^ "BAFTA's Children & Young People Awards 2022 - Winners". www.bafta.org. November 27, 2022. Retrieved January 18, 2023.

External links

Awards for Mike Rianda
Salinas, California
Authority control databases
Categories