Following the fallout of John Lasseter's history of uncomfortable behaviour around female employees and others, Disney put him on sabbatical and has now had him leave his post as chief creative officer at Disney Feature Animation and Pixar. And now we know who will succeed him – Pixar veteran Pete Docter and Frozen co-director Jennifer Lee.
They'll become the creative drivers for each studio (Docter running the show at Pixar, Lee at Disney Animation), reporting to Disney big boss Alan Horn. According to the Mouse House, they'll "have creative oversight of all films and associated projects of their respective studios." Docter has been with Pixar since 1990, becoming part of the company's "Brain Trust" of leading lights early on. Lee has worked on several of Disney's recent animated hits and is on the Creative Leadership team.
"Jennifer Lee and Pete Docter are two of the most gifted filmmakers and storytellers I’ve ever had the pleasure to work with. Pete, the genius creative force behind Up, Inside Out, and Monsters, Inc., has been an integral part of Pixar almost since the beginning and is a huge part of its industry-leading success," says Horn. "Jenn, in bringing her bold vision to the boundary-breaking Frozen, has helped infuse Disney Animation with a new and exciting perspective. Each of them embodies the unique spirit, culture, and values of these renowned animation studios, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to have them to lead us into the future."
Lasseter, meanwhile, will have a consulting role at both companies until the end of the year.
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