DVDizzy Forum

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

Rumpelstiltskin wrote: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.

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.

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

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.

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

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