John Lasseter Accused of Sexual Assault

[Disney's Divinity]

Is John Lasseter Teaming Up With The Makers Of ‘Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir’?
https://www.cartoonbrew.com/feature-fil ... 65117.html

I've only seen the show once, when I spent a night over at my mom's earlier this year and I woke up around 4 in the morning, with nothing on but shows about wildlife and children's cartoons. I thought Cat Noir had a cute design, like a genderbent Cat Woman. For their own sake, I hope they don't associate themselves with Lasseter.

[Rumpelstiltskin]

Usually he has a huge grin when we see pictures of him on the net. On those pictures he looks rather uncomfortable. He has clearly not recovered yet, if he ever will.

[Avaitor]

Usually he has a huge grin when we see pictures of him on the net. On those pictures he looks rather uncomfortable. He has clearly not recovered yet, if he ever will.

Good. May he be as uncomfortable as all the women he's worked with have been for the rest of his life.

[Sotiris]

Lasseter is trying to make a comeback.

As it turns out, Lasseter himself may not yet be done. The executive has been looking to reenter the entertainment business just months after his ouster, according to two people with knowledge of his thought process — raising questions, a year after the Me Too movement, about how and if industries should accept attempted comebacks.

Lasseter recently met with officials from at least one agency, WME Entertainment, where in a two-hour meeting at the firm’s Beverly Hills headquarters, he gave his side of the accusations and outlined his hopes for his next act, according to a person who was at the meeting but not authorized to speak about it.

While Silicon Valley companies looking to get into animation would seem a logical fit — Lasseter had ties to late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs — his specialty in creating large theatrical experiences runs counter to those companies’ focus on personal devices. In fact, among the areas in which Lasseter expressed interest, said the person, was one unrelated to animation: podcasting.

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business ... story.html

[blackcauldron85]

John Lasseter Trying To Creep Back Into Industry, Wants To Do A Podcast: Report
https://www.cartoonbrew.com/artist-righ ... 66382.html

[Rumpelstiltskin]

Curious why he want to do a podcast. Can't imagine it pays that good, and he has already enough money to retire and live well for the rest of his life. If it's not for the money, the number of reasons are limited. Perhaps as a stepping stone in a new career, or an attempt to fix his reputation and legacy so people will remember him for something else, or he simply want to work with something that interests him instead of spending all his time on his winery.

[Mickeyfan1990]

Whatever the reason, so long as it's a positive one, I honestly do wish him luck.

[Kyle]

Honesty a podcast sounds a great idea to me. If he spends enough time on mic, and with the right guests maybe that would help the public understand things from his perspective. figure out if he can be redeemed at all. Of course, he could easily just ignore his skeletons, but maybe he can address them in an honest way. If he can own up to things properly who knows what could happen. Or he could turn out as bad as we thought he was, or worse. If all he does is lie about things it will probably start to show.

[willard]

I'm a little worried that he might say something stupid. I think its better that he retire and donate to good causes.

[WarriorDreamer]

It is such a shame that all this came out. He seemed like a nice guy in interviews and a real creative force. Ah well, hope he can turn it around to something positive, even if it isn't working at Pixar.

[Kyle]

I'm a little worried that he might say something stupid. I think its better that he retire and donate to good causes.

Wouldn't you rather it be out in the open?If he wants to dig a grave let him.

[estefan]

Of course, the article doesn't say whether he wants to host a podcast or merely produce them. Lasseter might be more interested in the latter.

[Kyle]

The dude's a narcissist, of course he wants to host.

[Rumpelstiltskin]

OK. It is now 2019, and Lasseter's contract with Disney has expired without being renewed, so he is officially no longer employed by Disney (making him free to seek out new creative challenges). I wonder if they gave him a gold watch.

But even if he had been a saint, it was for the best that Lee and Docter took over. When the same CCO is running two different studios, the movies will eventually start looking the same. Also the Pixar movies started to repeat themselves.

A president can not sit for longer than eight years. Maybe sticking to a limited amount of time would be a good idea for Disney as well, to allow new blood to come in and add something fresh. If you have been running the same studio for ten or twelve years or something, finding new challenges (within the same company or somewhere else) is perhaps the best creative solution. Then again, as long as the movies makes huge money, I can understand why they want to keep the one they assume it to thank for all the success.

[Mickeyfan1990]

Lasseter to now lead Skydance Animation:


https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat- ... ce-1174878

[Disney's Divinity]

YUCK! They should be ashamed of themselves for employing him in a leadership role.

My sympathies to Alessandro Carloni and Vicky Jenson, who will likely be micromanaged off their projects now like so many directors at WDAS and PIXAR in the past. Of course, Vicky Jenson will have Lasseter's misogyny and harassment to deal with on top of that as well. Hopefully she keeps a lawyer on call.

[Sotiris]

Wow, the industry learned nothing from the Me Too and Time's Up movement. What a bunch of hypocrites. The statements from both Lasseter and the Skydance CEO are sickening. "While we would never minimize anyone’s subjective views on behavior". There was nothing subjective about his abhorrent behavior and saying that is in fact a major insult to all of his victims. They're still trying to minimize and ignore all the horrible things Lasseter had been doing for decades. Skydance Animation will become Pixar 2.0.

Interestingly, Nathan Greno is directing a feature called "Powerless" at Skydance.

[Sotiris]

More details courtesy of Variety.

The hire comes after Lasseter has been trying, and largely failing, to drum up interest from studios in recent months, having met with Warner Bros. and other players. Many major studios and technology companies were wary of partnering with Lasseter because he was ousted from Pixar in the wake of a sexual harassment scandal.

Lasseter will be based in Los Angeles and will start his job later in January. Variety contacted Skydance about a possible deal for Lasseter in December when word had begun to leak that the animation guru was trying to find a new home, but the company was initially evasive and ultimately unresponsive.

As some meetings with industry professionals, Lasseter pitched the idea of having a production deal, which would have given a financial partner more of an arms length relationship with the producer. That won’t be the case at Skydance. Lasseter will work in the company’s Los Angeles office and will report directly to Ellison.

Lasseter has had a number of powerful defenders who have quietly been advocating for studios to give him a second chance. According to individuals with knowledge of his meetings with potential employers, Lasseter’s advocates have argued that his offenses are relatively minor and are being unfairly conflated with rape and assault charges against other Hollywood figures such as Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, and Dustin Hoffman because the Disney sabbatical was announced in the wake of these other scandals.

Source: https://variety.com/2019/film/news/john ... 203103804/


At least, there is some backlash to the news.

Time's Up, Women and Hollywood Blast Skydance for Hiring John Lasseter
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/ ... er-1174908

Women in Animation President: John Lasseter Hiring at Skydance "Weakens" Progress
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/behin ... ce-1175947

Women In Animation Chief Pens Open Letter On John Lasseter Hire
https://deadline.com/2019/01/women-in-a ... 202535088/

John Lasseter’s Skydance Hire Is “Condoning Abuse,” Says Time’s Up; More Hollywood Groups Join Criticism
https://deadline.com/2019/01/john-lasse ... 202532260/

Time’s Up, Women in Film Slam Skydance for Hiring John Lasseter: It ‘Endorses and Perpetuates a Broken System’
https://variety.com/2019/film/news/time ... 203103941/

John Lasseter’s Skydance Hire Sends Hollywood Executives, Animation Insiders Reeling
https://variety.com/2019/film/news/john ... 203104219/

Skydance Animation ‘Condones Abuse’ By Hiring John Lasseter, Says Time’s Up
https://www.cartoonbrew.com/artist-righ ... 68882.html

Is Skydance Endangering Its Female Employees? Here Is A List Of Accusations Against John Lasseter
https://www.cartoonbrew.com/artist-righ ... 68942.html

[disneyprincess11]

The white, male leadership of Hollywood is showing and it's heartbreaking

[Disney's Divinity]

There was nothing subjective about his abhorrent behavior and saying that is in fact a major insult to all of his victims.

I agree. It's pretty self-evident.

Interestingly, Nathan Greno is directing a feature called "Powerless" at Skydance.

That is interesting. When did Greno leave Disney? Was it around the time all this stuff started to erupt or no? If he left long before that, he might have had a hand in getting Lasseter hired at Skydance.

Funnily enough, the story kind of simmered beneath the real news because the average person doesn't really know anything about Disney executives, directors, etc. The gall of him being hired by another studio might actually be what makes the story blow up skyhigh. Fingers crossed!