Darla K. Anderson Left Pixar

[Sotiris]

Well, this came out of the blue. Particularly since it's only been a few days after her Oscar win for Coco. Could she be leaving because they refused to promote her to Lasseter's position? Could have she been ousted? It doesn't seem like she wanted to leave. Her reasons of pursuing "creative and philanthropic endeavors" sound too nebulous. Usually, when a high-ranking producer leaves a studio on their own accord, it's because they have some other concrete projects in the works elsewhere. It doesn't seem to be the case here. From all the interviews I've read of hers, she always struck me as someone who found her dream job at Pixar and would never want to leave. Something else must have went down. I'm suspicious.

Fresh off her Oscar win for Coco, longtime Pixar producer Darla K. Anderson is leaving the animation studio after 25 years to pursue other creative and philanthropic endeavors. [...]

"I've had a magical and privileged experience working at Pixar for over two decades. The creativity, imagination and innovation at Pixar is second to none. I'm truly grateful to have been a part of this historic journey and hold excitement for my next chapter," Anderson tells The Hollywood Reporter in a statement.

Adds Walt Disney Co. chairman-CEO Bob Iger: "Darla has been a creative force in animation and a strong voice at Pixar for 25 years. She's made an indelible mark on the industry as an Oscar-winning producer and a relentless champion for stories that reflect the diversity of the global audience. She takes my best wishes with her as she sets a course for her next adventure."

"Darla is not only a storied producer, but one of the true pioneers in the creation of computer-animated feature films. From A Bug's Life to the sublime Coco, Darla has produced a remarkable body of movies that have not only raised the bar for animation but for cinema as a whole," Pixar chief Jim Morris says.

"I have had the pleasure of working closely with Darla for over 25 years," says Ed Catmull, president of Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios. "She was there from the beginning, when we were all figuring out how to make a computer-graphics animated film, and I personally owe her a debt of gratitude for all her contributions to our studio and our industry."

Source: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/ ... ar-1093131

[Kyle]

Wow, this sucks. I figured she had many more great movies in her future at pixar. Plus, why wouldn't Disney want the good pr of having a woman in a high ranking position there givin all that's going on?

[JeanGreyForever]

I'm pretty surprised by this news, especially so soon after Coco just won the Oscar. Maybe she didn't get Lasseter's position so this is why she left.

[Kyle]

I doubt that's it. Not many people would even want that kind of responsibility. My guess is she just wanted to direct a movie and all the slots in the foreseeable future have already been taken up. So she is shopping her idea elsewhere. Possibly already has some good options.

A contributing factor is maybe she knows more info about lasetter is about to come out and she's wanting to disassociate herself with the brand as much as possible before it hits the fan even more.

[Semaj]

I thought it was a given that one of the directors were next in line.

[PatrickvD]

I’m not sure what to make of this to be honest. Clearly her line of reporting changed, which caused this decision. Maybe she was committed to Catmull and he’s out? It’s hard for me to imagine that she, as a woman, would have any remorse over Lasseter leaving.

But this seems like a clear sign of a bigger shakeup that’s about to be announced.

I sure hope this doesn’t mean Lasseter stays in some kind of role, causing her to quit...

[Disney's Divinity]

I sure hope this doesn’t mean Lasseter stays in some kind of role, causing her to quit...

This is where my mind jumped to.

[Sotiris]

Interesting. Was she fired because of her alleged abusive behavior or was it because the men at Pixar weren't used to taking orders from a woman?

Longtime Pixar producer Darla Anderson, one of the few women in the upper echelons of the company, departed in March. While her exit was presented as amicable, sources say there had been complaints about bullying conduct — though one former associate says Anderson's actions were no worse than behavior that was accepted from men. Anderson declined to comment.

Source: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/featu ... ey-1105297

[Rumpelstiltskin]

Now Lori McAdams has left Pixar as well:

https://www.cartoonbrew.com/artist-righ ... 58058.html

[PatrickvD]

Good. The enablers need to go in order for change to take place.

[Disney's Divinity]

Well, birds of a feather flock together. I'm sure many of the people surrounding Lasseter were very much like him, narcissists and bullies. McAdams deserves to be pushed out of the industry for being a part of the wage-fixing scandal. What a disgrace.

[magicalwands]

Well, birds of a feather flock together. I'm sure many of the people surrounding Lasseter were very much like him, narcissists and bullies. McAdams deserves to be pushed out of the industry for being a part of the wage-fixing scandal. What a disgrace.

She went to CSUChico and their university website has a whole page on how great and wonderful and successful she is.

[Sotiris]

Netflix Signs Development Deal With Oscar-Winning ‘Coco’ Producer Darla K. Anderson
https://variety.com/2019/film/news/netf ... 203124939/

[D82]

Maybe Lee Unkrich left Pixar to join her at Netflix, but he couldn't reveal it yet. Darla gave a similar excuse when she left the studio.

[Kyle]

Then why would he flat out say he was not leaving to join another studio, but the industry in general?

[Rumpelstiltskin]

He said:

I’m not leaving to make films at another studio; instead, I look forward to spending much-needed time with my family and pursuing interests that have long been back-burnered.

It is not clear if he was referring to the whole movie industry, or if he just had the animation industry in mind. He came from live action, and perhaps he wants to return to live action for some time, which is very different from animation.

[D82]

I didn't remember he stressed so clearly that he didn't leave to join another studio. However, I still think it's possible that he left Pixar to work at Netflix with Darla, but he wants to spend some time with his family first. Darla produced three of his films, so I guess they have a good relationship and it's likely that she has offered him a job at her new studio.

[Kyle]

"Film" doesn't mean animation. I take that to mean any kind of tv or movie studio. Even elimating "studio" says a lot. That means no film or tv.