Author: Bill Desowitz / Source: IndieWire
As Docter and Lee succeed John Lasseter as chief creative officers at Pixar and Disney, what are their visions for pushing animation in new directions?
The John Lasseter era is really over at Pixar and Disney with Tuesday’s promotions of Pete Docter and Jennifer Lee as chief creative officers of the respective animation studios.
They’ve been the frontrunners all along to succeed Lasseter (set to leave Disney and Pixar at year’s end after allegations of workplace sexual harassment), and they are great choices. We can expect smooth transitions and likely success at Pixar and Disney along with better morale, improved workplace conditions, and, hopefully, greater advancement opportunities for women.Docter was one of Pixar’s first employees, joining the studio in 1990 during the production of “Toy Story,” and the director of “Monsters, Inc.,” and the Oscar-winning “Up” and “Inside Out.” He’s a consummate animator and storyteller: warm, sensitive, funny, and a risk taker. He’s beloved at Pixar (a valued member of the Brain Trust), and has learned well from both Lasseter and his Disney idol Joe Grant (“Fantasia,” “Dumbo”), who was forward thinking but also mindful of tradition.
Meanwhile, Lee, a funny, sharp-eyed, and compassionate writer and director, has been a godsend to Disney. As co-writer of “Wreck-It Ralph,” she provided a fresh, hip, women’s voice. And her reward was being elevated to co-director of the Oscar-winning “Frozen,” which expanded her rich talents for storytelling, helping create a phenomenon with the tender sibling story that resonated worldwide. Lee subsequently played a crucial role as a member of the Story Trust on the Oscar-winning “Zootopia,” and is currently in production on “Frozen 2,” due out in November 2019.
According to the announcement, Docter and Lee will have responsibility for the creative oversight of all movies and associated projects of their respective studios, reporting directly to Alan Horn, chairman, The Walt Disney Studios. Meanwhile,…
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