Disney has officially announced that Jennifer Lee and Pete Docter will split John Lasseter’s duties at Disney.
This announcement comes shortly after Lasseter announced that he was stepping down as Chief Creative Officer at the end of the year, after taking a six month leave of absence that was related to allegations of sexual misconduct.
Docter, the director of “Up,” “Monsters, Inc.” and “Inside Out,” along with numerous writing credits has been tapped as chief creative officer at Pixar Animation Studios. This has been rumored and talked about in the Disney fan community ever since Lasseter announced his leave of absence. I along with many Pixar film fans are pleased with this announcement. I personally have not heard any comments that express any unhappiness with Pete Docter taking over at Pixar.
“I started here 28 years ago,” said Docter. “I am fortunate to work alongside some of the most talented people on the planet, and together we will keep pushing animation in new directions, using the latest technology to tell stories we hope will surprise and delight audiences around the world.”
Even though both have been rumored to be in the running to assume the announced roles, I still found Lee’s announcement a bit more of a surprise.. Lee has quite a pedigree as a writer, having writing/screenplay credits for “Wreck-It-Ralph,” “Zootopia,” and “Wrinkle In Time.” She also has directed “Frozen” and “Frozen Fever” and is currently directing “Frozen 2.”
“Animation is the most collaborative art form in the world, and it is with the partnership of my fellow filmmakers, artists, and innovators that we look ahead to the future,” said Lee. “My hope is to support the incredible talent we have, find new voices, and work together to tell original stories.”
Both will report to Alan Horn, the studio chairman.
I personally am happy and enthusiastic about Pete Docter leading Pixar. Since I personally am not as familiar with the leadership style of Jennifer Lee, I am optimistic about her leading Walt Disney Animation.
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