John Rice

Biography

John Rice is an American animation director and storyboard artist who has become a go-to filmmaker for reviving and expanding major animated franchises. With a career rooted in the "golden age" of Fox television animation, he served as a character layout artist and storyboarder for The Simpsons and King of the Hill before transitioning into feature film direction. In 2026, Rice is at the helm of one of the year's biggest holiday releases. He is the director of "The Angry Birds Movie 3", scheduled for theatrical release on December 23, 2026. The film completes the trilogy for Rovio and Sega, following the massive critical improvement of the second installment (which Rice co-directed). Industry reports suggest the third film will take the franchise into "multiverse" territory, leveraging Rice's experience with sci-fi comedy. His reputation as a comedy director was solidified by the critical success of "Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe" (2022). As the director of the Paramount+ film, Rice was praised for successfully modernizing Mike Judge’s iconic duo for a 21st-century audience while retaining the show’s original lo-fi aesthetic. Rice’s television credits are equally impressive; he was a key director during the first season of "Rick and Morty" (directing fan-favorite episodes like Lawnmower Dog and Something Ricked This Way Comes) and served as a supervising director on Bob's Burgers.