Pete Docter and Jennifer Lee to lead Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

John Lasseter stepped away from both Pixar and Disney last year after he admitted that he had committed unspecified "missteps" that left some employees feeling "disrespected or uncomfortable," and it was announced earlier this month that Lasseter will have a consulting role with the company until he exits for good at the end of the year. Disney has now announced who will be stepping up to take the reins of Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios, and it's a pair who fans are quite familiar with.

The studio announced today that Jennifer Lee (FROZEN) will be Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios while Pete Docter (INSIDE OUT) will serve as Chief Creative Officer of Pixar Animation Studios. "They will have responsibility for the creative oversight of all films and associated projects of their respective studios, reporting directly to Alan Horn, Chairman, The Walt Disney Studios," Disney said in a statement, with Alan Horn adding, "Jennifer Lee and Pete Docter are two of the most gifted filmmakers and storytellers I’ve ever had the pleasure to work with. Pete, the genius creative force behind Up, Inside Out, and Monsters, Inc., has been an integral part of Pixar almost since the beginning and is a huge part of its industry-leading success. Jenn, in bringing her bold vision to the boundary-breaking Frozen, has helped infuse Disney Animation with a new and exciting perspective. Each of them embodies the unique spirit, culture, and values of these renowned animation studios, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to have them to lead us into the future." Jennifer Lee and Pete Docter both responded to their new gigs with their own statements:

“I am deeply grateful to everyone at Walt Disney Animation Studios and The Walt Disney Company for this opportunity,” said Lee. “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.”

The latest Pixar film, INCREDIBLES 2, recently hit theaters, so be sure to check out a glowing review from our own Chris Bumbray!