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Lee Unkrich to depart Pixar after 25 years
Well, Pixar is going through changes. Co-founder John Lasseter is out but has landed a gig at Skydance Animation. Co-founder Ed Catmull is retiring at the end of the year. Now, Lee Unkrich is leaving Pixar. So the OG Pixar brain trust has shrunk. Now a new generation of creatives will be at the helm lead by Pete Docter, who is now the Chief Creative Officer at Pixar. Lee Unkrich leaving Pixar is sad for Pixar lovers.
Lee Unkrich helped shape Pixar into an elite animation studio. Unkrich was an editor on the original Toy Story and A Bug’s Life. Unkrich would be the co-director on Toy Story 2 along with Ash Bannon assisting John Lasseter with his main directing duties.
He would continue his co-directing duties with Monsters Inc. and Finding Nemo. Unkrich’s first directing gig would come in 2010 with Toy Story 3. He was also an executive producer for Monsters University and The Good Dinosaur. Unkrich then went on to write and direct Coco along with Adrian Molina. Lee Unkrich was also part of the brain trust group that developed the story for Toy Story 4.
“Lee has left an indelible mark on the world of film, and we are so grateful for the passion and talent he has brought to each movie he has worked on. He’ll always be part of the Disney-Pixar family, and we will miss him,” said Chairman of Walt Disney Studios Alan Horn.
“If you look at the sweep of contemporary cinema, it would be difficult to find someone more brilliant in the filmmaking arts than Lee Unkrich,” said Pixar president Jim Morris. “He has been a key player in elevating virtually every one of Pixar’s films.”
Lee Unkrich is an Oscar award-winning director. His influence on Pixar and the animation industry will be missed. Unkrich’s last film at Pixar became a fan-favorite and was applauded for its treatment of Mexican culture. Lee Unkrich also directed Toy Story 3 which arguably has one of the greatest and most emotional endings of all time.
Lee Unkrich is now pursuing new adventures. I wish him luck and I hope he enjoys the next chapter of his life.
Boardwalk Times-Cultjer Partnership
