Who directed the 2014 Day of the Dead animated film The Book of Life?

Jorge R. Gutierrez directed the 2014 Day of the Dead animated film The Book of Life.

The Book of Life was Gutierrez’s feature directorial debut. He co-wrote the screenplay with Doug Langdale, while Guillermo del Toro served as one of the producers. The story follows Manolo Sánchez, a young bullfighter who wants to become a musician, as he moves through a fantastical world shaped by love, family, memory, and the afterlife.

The film draws heavily on Mexican visual culture and Día de Muertos traditions, including decorated skeletons, marigolds, candles, altars, and the realms known as the Land of the Remembered and the Land of the Forgotten. It was produced by Reel FX and distributed by 20th Century Fox, rather than being a Pixar film; that distinction helps rule out Lee Unkrich, who directed Coco. The film premiered in Los Angeles on October 12, 2014, and received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Animated Feature.