Alex Woo (filmmaker)

Last updated
Alex Woo
Education
Occupations
  • Director
  • producer
  • screenwriter
  • story artist
Years active2003-present
Employers
Awards Student Academy Award (2004) Emmy Award (2021)
Website kukustudios.com

Alex Woo is an American animator, filmmaker, and the founder and CEO of Kuku Studios, an independent animation studio. Woo has contributed to several acclaimed animated films and television series, including The Venture Bros. , Ratatouille , WALL-E , Cars 2 , The Good Dinosaur , Finding Dory , Incredibles 2 , and Go! Go! Cory Carson . [1] He is also the director and co-writer of the Netflix animated feature In Your Dreams . [2]

Contents

Early life and education

Born and raised in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Woo moved to Hong Kong as a teenager where he attended the Chinese International School. [3] He later enrolled at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film and Television Production. [4]

Career

Early work

Woo began his filmmaking career as an animator and storyboard artist on The Venture Bros. while studying at NYU. His short film Rex Steele: Nazi Smasher won a Student Academy Award. [5] After graduating, he worked as a director in development at Lucasfilm Animation. [6]

Pixar Animation Studios

In 2005, Woo joined Pixar Animation Studios as a story artist. During his decade-long tenure, he worked on several major films, including:

Kuku Studios

In 2016, Woo left Pixar to found Kuku Studios, an independent animation studio. The name "Kuku" is derived from the Chinese word "哭" (kū), meaning "cry," reflecting the studio's goal of producing stories that make people "cry tears of laughter and tears of pathos". [2]

At Kuku Studios, Woo was the creator and executive producer of the Emmy Award-winning animated series Go! Go! Cory Carson . He also directed and co-wrote the original animated feature film In Your Dreams, which is set to premiere on Netflix on November 14, 2025. The film follows two siblings who enter the world of dreams to find the Sandman and have their ultimate wish granted. [7]

Filmography

Films

YearTitleRole(s)
2007 Ratatouille Story Artist
2008 WALL-E Story Artist
2011 Cars 2 Story Artist
2015 The Good Dinosaur Story Artist
2016 Finding Dory Story Lead
2018 Incredibles 2 Story Artist
2025 In Your Dreams Director & Co-Writer

Short Films

YearTitleRole(s)
2004Rex Steele: Nazi SmasherDirector & Producer

TV Episodes and Specials

YearTitleRole(s)
2003 The Venture Bros. Animator & Storyboard Artist
2020-2021 Go! Go! Cory Carson Executive Producer
2020A Go! Go! Cory Carson Summer CampExecutive Producer
2020A Go! Go! Cory Carson HalloweenExecutive Producer
2020A Go! Go! Cory Carson ChristmasExecutive Producer
2020Go! Go! Cory Carson: The ChrissyExecutive Producer
2020Go! Go! Cory Carson: Chrissy Takes the WheelExecutive Producer

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryWorkResultRef
2004Student Academy Award (Gold)AnimationRex Steele: Nazi SmasherWon [5]
2021Day Time Emmy AwardOutstanding Directing Team for a Preschool Animated ProgramGo! Go! Cory CarsonWon [8]
2022Children & Family Emmy AwardsOutstanding Directing Team for a Preschool Animated ProgramGo! Go! Cory CarsonNominated [9]

References

  1. ↑ "Alexander Woo | Producer, Writer, Director". IMDb. Retrieved 2025-09-07.
  2. 1 2 Lang, Jamie (2025-06-14). "'We Hatched Hairbrained Schemes to Save Our Family': Alex Woo's Childhood Memories Fuel Netflix's New Animated Film 'In Your Dreams'". Variety. Retrieved 2025-09-07.
  3. ↑ "Alex Woo '99 – CEO, Film Director & Storyboard Artist – CIS Alumni Connect". 2019-02-18. Retrieved 2025-09-07.
  4. ↑ "Animator Alex Woo is proud of his AAPI roots, but doesn't let it define his work". ABC7 New York. 2025-05-30. Retrieved 2025-09-07.
  5. 1 2 Ball, Ryan (2004-06-16). "Rex Steeles Student Oscar". Animation Magazine. Retrieved 2025-09-07.
  6. ↑ Zahed, Ramin (2025-03-08). "Rising Stars of Animation 2025". Animation Magazine. Retrieved 2025-09-07.
  7. ↑ Taylor, Drew (2025-06-13). "Annecy: 'In Your Dreams' Director Alex Woo Talks Netflix's Animated Epic". TheWrap. Retrieved 2025-09-07.
  8. ↑ Schneider, Michael (2021-07-18). "Lupita Nyong'o, Mark Hamill Among Daytime Emmy Children's and Animation Winners". Variety. Retrieved 2025-09-07.
  9. ↑ Hailu, Selome (2022-12-11). "2022 Children's & Family Creative Arts Emmy Winners (FULL LIST, NIGHT 1)". Variety. Retrieved 2025-09-07.
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