Jennifer Lee, Pete Docter Officially Named New Disney-Pixar Chief Creative Officers

A short while ago it was finally announced that disgraced Disney-Pixar Chief Creative Officer John Lasseter would be leaving the company in the wake of multiple misconduct allegations. Whilst his removal took longer than many would have liked (and he'll still be at the company until the end of the year) it left the question of just who would be taking over the role Lasseter held at both companies.

The Walt Disney Company has now officially confirmed that as previously suspected, Jennifer Lee will be taking over as CCO at Walt Disney Animation Studios, with Pete Docter doing the same over at Pixar.

Lee is best known as the writer and co-director of Frozen (and its upcoming sequel) but she also wrote on Wreck It Ralph, and was on the story team for Zootopia. Docter has been with Pixar since 1990, and is a member of the studio's Brain Trust as well as the director of Monster's Inc, Inside Out and Up.

Both are extremely talented and widely respected filmmakers and storytellers who will bring with them considerable experience. The creative future of both companies is in good hands. And hopefully, they will also be able to usher in a new era, allowing new creatives to find a voice, too.

"I am deeply grateful to everyone at Walt Disney Animation Studios and The Walt Disney Company for this opportunity," Lee said of taking on the new role. "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. My hope is to support the incredible talent we have, find new voices, and work together to tell original stories. The great films of Disney Animation—the films I loved as a kid and my daughter has grown up loving—are magical, timeless, and full of heart, and it is our goal to create films that carry on and grow this 95-year legacy for future generations."

"I am excited and humbled to be asked to take on this role," said Docter. "It is not something I take lightly; making films at Pixar has been my chronic obsession since I started here 28 years ago. 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."



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