Docter made his directorial debut with "Monsters, Inc."—the first Pixar movie not directed by Lasseter—which occurred right after the birth of his first child, Nick. Docter has said that the abrupt move from a complete, single-minded devotion to his career to parenting drove him "upside down" and formed the inspiration for the storyline. In 2004, he was asked by John Lasseter to direct the English translation of "Howl's Moving Castle". Docter then directed the 2009 film "Up", released on May 29, 2009. He based the protagonist of "Up" partially on himself, based on his frequent feelings of social awkwardness and his desire to get away from crowds to contemplate. Following the success of "Up", Docter and fellow Pixar veterans John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich as well as long-time collaborator and director Brad Bird were honored with the Golden Lion Honorary Award for Lifetime Achievement at the 66th Venice International Film Festival. Docter directed the 2015 film "Inside Out" to critical acclaim. His next film, "Soul", was released on Disney+ on December 25, 2020 to critical acclaim.