Who directed Ratatouille?

Brad Bird directed Ratatouille. He also rewrote the screenplay after taking over the project from its earlier development phase, helping turn the story of a cooking-loving Parisian rat into one of Pixar’s most acclaimed films.

Jan Pinkava originated the project and developed its initial concept, characters, and story. Pixar later brought in Bird, who had already directed The Iron Giant and The Incredibles, to reshape the film. Bird changed the emphasis of the story, expanded characters such as Colette and Skinner, and guided the production’s balance of comedy, romance, culinary detail, and emotional drama.

Bird and producer Brad Lewis visited Paris with members of the crew to study its architecture, restaurants, streets, and atmosphere. The production also consulted chefs, while chef Thomas Keller helped inspire the film’s signature confit byaldi dish. Those details supported the film’s central idea that creativity and talent can come from unexpected places.

Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter, and John Lasseter are all important Pixar figures, but none directed Ratatouille. Stanton directed Finding Nemo and WALL-E, Docter directed Monsters, Inc. and Up, and Lasseter directed several Toy Story films.