By Lindsey Bahr, Film Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) --Just days before Pixar's "Coco" is set to hit theaters, Pixar co-founder and Walt Disney Animation chief John Lasseter announced he is taking a six-month leave of absence citing "missteps" with employees.
The boisterous, Hawaiian shirt-wearing personality behind some of the most beloved children's films of the past 30 years like "Toy Story" is the latest entertainment titan to be exposed for claims of sexual harassment and inappropriate conduct in the workplace, including a reported "unwanted advance" toward actress and writer Rashida Jones, who had been working on the script for "Toy Story 4."
In a vaguely-worded memo obtained by The Associated Press Tuesday, Lasseter says he knows he has made some employees feel disrespected and uncomfortable.
"I deeply apologize if I have let you down. I especially want to apologize to anyone who has ever been on the receiving end of an unwanted hug or any other gesture they felt crossed the line in any way, shape, or form," Lasseter wrote. "No matter how benign my intent, everyone has the right to set their own boundaries and have them respected."
A Disney spokesperson says the company is committed to maintaining a respectful work environment and fully supports Lasseter's sabbatical. Representatives for Jones did not immediately respond to request for comment.
Lasseter, 60, is known for directing films like "Toy Story," ''Toy Story 2," ''A Bug's Life" and "Cars," and has produced every Pixar feature since 2001's "Monster's, Inc." He has been the chief creative officer for Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios since 2006, when Disney purchased Pixar, and has overseen the recent Disney Animation renaissance with hits like "Frozen," ''Moana" and "Zootopia," which won the Oscar for best animated feature this year.
Lasseter himself won a special achievement Oscar for "Toy Story" and one for his animated shorts, "Tin Toy," from 1989. He has been recognized for numerous honors, including the Producer's Guild David O. Selznick Achievement Award. But aside from the critical accolades around his work in animation, Lasseter's films are by and large extremely profitable. His Pixar films have earned over $10 billion and, not accounting for inflation, "Frozen" is the ninth highest-grossing film of all time (and No. 1 for animation).
A report in the entertainment trade The Hollywood Reporter, citing unnamed sources, details a culture in which Lasseter was known to hug, kiss and grope female employees. His well-documented hugs were at one time apparently publicly regarded as a quirk of employment under Lasseter. The Wall Street Journal had even cheekily detailed his proclivity for hugs in a 2011 story and photo spread subtitled "A sampling from among the 48 hugs administered by Pixar chief John Lasseter during the WSJ's daylong adventure with him."
Lasseter said he will use the sabbatical to take better care of himself, recharge and "Ultimately return with the insight and perspective I need to be the leader you deserve." He told employees he looks forward to working together again in the new year.
SCHROM x Yacht Club and Be Electric Studios Launch Electric XR for Virtual Production
SCHROM x Yacht Club, a full-service live-action, tabletop, and postproduction company, has teamed with Be Electric Studios, a soundstage, equipment rental, and virtual production company, to launch Electric XR, a virtual production collective.
Industry veteran Thomas Rossano will lead the new venture, which provides advanced virtual production solutions across multiple facilities. He brings over 25 years of experience in live-action, tabletop, postproduction and talent curation to enhance Electric XR’s offerings as a resource for brands and agencies, as well as other production companies in need of virtual production solutions. Additionally Rossano continues to serve as EP at XR New York (XR-NY), a role he’s held since December 2022. SCHROM x Yacht Club originally established XR-NY to help provide XR services for third-party rentals. While XR-NY will continue to function independently for SCHROM X Yacht Club, it now operates under the Electric XR umbrella.
Rossano’s expertise spans producing live-action commercials, branded content, interactive and experiential content. In addition to leading Electric XR, he holds responsibilities at SCHROM x Yacht Club which include driving business development, collaborating with sales reps and expanding the company’s creative talent network. Rossano’s career includes serving as an exec producer at Hungry Man for about 11 years, right from that company’s inception. He then went on to become a partner at Station Film where he also had a lengthy tenure. Later he was a partner at PRISM. Then after the pandemic hit, he became a freelance EP for nearly two years, looking into opportunities in virtual production, which led him to XR NY and now Electric XR. Over the years, he has produced high-profile... Read More