Shrek 2 director Kelly Asbury has died at the age of 60 following a battle with cancer.

The two-time Oscar nominee, who also worked on other projects such as Smurfs and Gnomeo and Juliet, passed away at his home in Los Angeles on Friday.

Asbury’s Shrek movie pulled in more than $900 million and led to him being nominated for an Academy award.

Speaking to Deadline, agent Nancy Newhouse Porter said: "He was one of the most admired and beloved people in the industry.

"It’s heartbreaking for everyone."

He began his career working for Walt Disney and producing storyboards for films such as Beauty and The Beast, The Black Cauldron, The Little Mermaid and Rescuers Down Under.

Asbury also featured as the main story artist for the first Toy Story film in the mid-90s.

He then became a well-known director in the early 2000s thanks to films such as Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron.

In two of his last projects, Asbury worked on Wreck-It Ralph and Frozen.