John Lasseter's return divides animators in Hollywood

Image
ANI Washington D.C. [USA]
Last Updated : Jan 13 2019 | 9:05 AM IST

American animator John Lasseter, who stepped down as Disney Animation's chief creative officer months ago, has been hired as the head of Skydance Animation.

The news came more than a year after Lasseter took a leave of absence from Disney following an admission that he committed unspecified "missteps" and brought the small and hyper-connected animation industry to a standstill.

However, many are not happy with the decision to bring him on board to the studio, including Paramount, which owns Skydance as he lost his job in the midst of the #MeToo movement.

"People are shell-shocked," Megan Dong, an animation director told The Hollywood Reporter. "As long as he is there, I wouldn't work at Skydance. And every female artist or creative who I've spoken to today has said they would never work at Skydance as long as he is involved. It's just a terrible message to send to women."

They also added that they see his hiring as a sign that the cultural shift they were hoping for in their industry had stalled.

His major projects include blockbusters like "Toy Story," "Monsters Inc.," "The Incredibles," and "Coco."

One of the founders of Pixar, Lasseter has won two Oscars, one being for his work on "Toy Story." Under his cognizance, WDA has picked up three wins, most recently with 2016's 'Zootopia'.

Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content

*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Jan 13 2019 | 9:05 AM IST

Next Story