Nick Bruno and Troy Quane are American filmmakers and animators. They are best known for directing the animated films Spies in Disguise (2019) and Nimona (2023), with the latter being nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.
Career Quane began as a 2D animator in 1995 before starting his career at Walt Disney Studios as a storyboard artist on the films The Wild (2006) and Enchanted (2007). He later left the company to serve as a story artist on 9 (2009), Arthur Christmas (2011), and Hotel Transylvania (2012). In 2011, Quane began his directorial career with the film The Smurfs: A Christmas Carol. In 2012, Quane was hired to co-direct the film Kazorn & The Unicorn with Kelly Asbury.
Bruno began his career at Blue Sky Studios as an animator on four Ice Age films: The Meltdown (2006), Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009), Continental Drift (2012), and Collision Course (2016). He was also an animator on Rio (2011), Epic (2013), Rio 2 (2014), and The Peanuts Movie (2015). In 2019, Quane and Bruno first teamed up to direct the animated comedy film Spies in Disguise, for Blue Sky Studios. On May 22, 2019, Bruno worked on a graphic novel called Urban Legendz with Blue Sky animator Paul Downs and Pixar animator Micheal Yates, and was released around June.
In April 2022, it was announced that they would direct the Netflix animated film Nimona, which was released in June 2023. Bruno and Quane were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, but lost to Hayao Miyazaki's The Boy and the Heron. In September 2023, Bruno was hired to direct a film for Annapurna Animation. In February 2024, Quane expressed interest in making sequels and spin-offs to Nimona. In March 2025, Quane was hired to direct The Wild Robot Escapes for DreamWorks Animation, replacing Chris Sanders, who wrote and directed The Wild Robot, and remains as a screenwriter in the sequel. Before he was hired to direct The Wild Robot Escapes, he was developing an untitled original film at DreamWorks Animation.
Filmography Both Quane and Bruno YearTitleCredited asNotes / Ref(s) Animator Storyboard artist Director Story writer Other 2015 The Peanuts Movie Animation Supervisor 2016 Ice Age: Collision Course 2019 Spies in Disguise Additional voices 2023 Nimona Additional voices
Troy Quane YearTitleCredited asNotes / Ref(s) Animator Storyboard artist Director 1997 Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas 2D Animator - Belle 1998 Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World 2D Animator 1999Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas 2D Animator 2000 The Tigger Movie 2D Animator Titan A.E. 2D Animator - Uncredited 2001 Osmosis Jones 2D Animator 2002 Eight Crazy Nights 2D Animator 2006 Curious George 2D Animator The Wild 2007 Enchanted Storyboard Supervisor 2009 9 2011 Arthur Christmas The Smurfs: A Christmas Carol 2012 Hotel Transylvania 2017 Ferdinand TBA
Nick Bruno YearTitleCredited asNotes / Ref(s) Animator Director 2006 Ice Age: The Meltdown No Time for Nuts 2008 Horton Hears a Who! Animation Character Leads - The Whos Surviving Sid 2009 Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs 2011 Rio 2012 Ice Age: Continental Drift Animation Supervisor 2013 Epic 2014 Rio 2 Development Animation Supervisor TBA
Bibliography Urban Legendz (2019)
Accolades Award Date of ceremony Category Film Result Visual Effects Society Awards February 2, 2016 Outstanding Visual Effects in an Animated Feature The Peanuts Movie Seattle Film Critics Society Awards January 8, 2024 Best Animated Feature Nimona Alliance of Women Film Journalists Awards January 19, 2024 Best Animated Film Annie Awards February 17, 2024 Outstanding Achievement for Directing in a Feature Production Academy Awards March 10, 2024 Best Animated Feature Hugo Awards August 11, 2024 Best Dramatic Presentation (Long Form)
References
External links