Chris Walas

Chris Walas is an American film director, special effects expert, and make-up artist. He was born in Chicago, Illinois.

Walas rose to fame in the 1980s, with effects for films such as "Airplane!" (1980), "Dragonslayer" (1981), and "Return of the Jedi" (1983). In the film "Raiders of the Lost Ark" (1981), Walas created the effects for a scene where the Nazi villains' faces melt from the intense heat generated by the Ark of the Covenant. In 1984, Walas was credited for the design of the gremlins in the film "Gremlins", a film that grossed 153.1 million dollars at the box office.

After creating the creature effects for "The Fly" (1986), Walas was invited to direct the sequel film "The Fly II" (1989), His directing debut earned about 39 million dollars at the worldwide box office. His only other credit as a film director was the horror comedy "The Vagrant" (1992), depicting a man who believes himself stalked by a stranger. The film received a limited release in 8 movie theaters.

In the 1990s, Walas film credits for effects and make-up included such films as the black comedy "Arachnophobia" (1990), the science fiction film "Naked Lunch" (1991), the virtual reality-themed science fiction film "Virtuosity" (1995), and the erotic thriller "Jade" (1995). None of them was particularly successful.

Walas' special effects were less in demand in the 2000s. His last film credit to date was creating the angels for the horror film "Dark Heaven" (2002).

- IMDb Mini Biography By: Dimos I

Chris Walas is known for work in visual effects across film and television. New Release currently presents 25 verified screen credits connected to this profile.

Selected work includes Creature Designers: The Frankenstein Complex (2015), Tales from the Crypt (1989), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Return of the Jedi (1983), Gremlins (1984), The Fly (1986), Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990), Enemy Mine (1985). The recorded credits span 1978 to 2019, including 24 movies and 1 TV show.

The filmography below lists available titles, release years and known roles. This profile is updated as additional verified information becomes available.