ADRIAN MOLINA

ANIMATOR/FILMMAKER

A second-generation Mexican American who grew up in Northern California, Molina spent years working his way up the ladder at Pixar before breaking into the big leagues by co-directing 2017’s Day of the Deadinspired smash “Coco.” Grossing more than $800 million worldwide, “Coco” proved a soothing balm for Latino audiences and offered Molina a chance to explore his own family heritage. “I wanted the characters to reflect the diversity of the people I knew growing up and the people we met in Mexico,” he told The Times in 2018. With his next Pixar project “Elio,” slated for release in 2024, Molina turns his gaze to the stars for his first solo directing effort with the story of an 11-year-old boy who accidentally becomes the intergalactic ambassador for planet Earth. — J.R.