Pixar's John Lasseter to the list

[posty 2,295]

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/john-lasseters-pattern-alleged-misconduct-detailed-by-disney-pixar-insiders-1059594

 

Rashida Jones is still credited as a writer on Toy Story 4, the next installment in the beloved franchise. But, sources tell The Hollywood Reporter, the actress and her writing partner at the time, Will McCormack, left the project early on after John Lasseter, the acclaimed head of Pixar and Walt Disney Animation, made an unwanted advance.

 

Jones and McCormack did not respond to repeated requests for comment. Disney declined to comment on the alleged incident though a studio source said the departure was over "creative differences." Multiple sources spoke with THR but asked not to be named out of fear that their careers in the tight-knit animation community would be damaged.

 

Based on the accounts of former Pixar insiders as well as sources in the animation community, the alleged incident was not an isolated occurrence. One longtime Pixar employee says Lasseter, who is well-known for hugging employees and others in the entertainment community, was also known by insiders for grabbing, kissing, making comments about physical attributes. Multiple sources say Lasseter is known to drink heavily at company social events such as premiere parties but this source says the behavior was not always confined to such settings.

 

Now Lasseter is taking a leave of absence from Pixar after acknowledging "painful" conversations and unspecified "missteps," he wrote in a memo to staff on Tuesday. The leave is said to be for six months, a source tells THR.

 

"I have always wanted our animation studios to be places where creators can explore their vision with the support and collaboration of other gifted animators and storytellers," Lasseter stated. "This kind of creative culture takes constant vigilance to maintain. Its built on trust and respect, and it becomes fragile if any members of the team dont feel valued. As a leader, its my responsibility to ensure that doesnt happen; and I now believe I have been falling short in this regard."

 

The executive added: "Ive recently had a number of difficult conversations that have been very painful for me. Its never easy to face your missteps, but its the only way to learn from them."

 

It is hard to overstate Lasseters value to Disney. He is known as the genius behind Pixar films from Toy Story to the upcoming Coco. He took charge of Walt Disney Animation in 2006 and lead a revival that included such gigantic hits as Frozen and Inside Out.

 

Sources say some women at Pixar knew to turn their heads quickly when encountering him to avoid his kisses. Some used a move they called the Lasseter to prevent their boss from putting his hands on their legs. A longtime insider says he saw a woman seated next to Lasseter in a meeting that occurred more than 15 years ago.

 

She was bent over and [had her arm] across her thigh, he says. The best I can describe it is as a defensive posture ... John had his hand on her knee, though, moving around. After that encounter, this person asked the woman about what he had seen. She said it was unfortunate for her to wear a skirt that day and if she didnt have her hand on her own right leg, his hand would have travelled.

 

The same source said he once noticed an oddly cropped photo of Lasseter standing between two women at a company function. When he mentioned that to a colleague, he was told, We had to crop it. Do you know where his hands were?

 

Another former insider remembers awkward encounters with Lasseter, who liked as many in the industry do to hug in meetings. Youd hug him and hes whisper in your ear, a long time, this person says. He hugged and hugged and everyones looking at you. Just invading the space.

 

Lasseter is best known as one of the founders of Pixar, which began as a part of the graphics group at Lucasfilm. Along with Ed Catmull, he popularized CGI in animation with early films like Monster's Inc. In 2006, after Disney purchased Pixar, Lasseter was named the chief creative officer of both Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios. He has since become the face of all Disney animation, overseeing the recent resurgence of the studio's namesake brand with properties like Frozen and Moana.

 

While Lasseter has won two Oscars (one is a specialty Oscar for his work on Toy Story), Pixar has racked up eight best animated feature wins. Under Lasseter's purview, WDA has picked up three wins, most recently with last year's Zootopia.

 

Pixar films have grossed over $6 billion at the domestic box office. The Emeryville-based company is set to release their next feature, Coco, on Wednesday. Pixar is currently working on a sequel to The Incredibles and the fourth Toy Story installment. WDA will release the Wreck It Ralph sequel next year.

[DonS 3,063]

Now we can't have awesome Pixar movies? Guess all entertainment will be Lifetime channel movies made by women depicting how evil men are every day.

 

Read earlier that Jeffrey Tambor made "The List". Netflix better not scrap Arrested Development because of it.

[Hardcore troubadour 12,552]

Rashida Jones? I focked much better. This guy has no taste.

[Filthy Fernadez 2,696]

Now we know where he came up with the character name Woody.

[Gladiators 1,900]

heysus...All you need to see is the picture from the article.

[Reality 2,710]

heysus...All you need to see is the picture from the article.

 

Truth, creepy af.