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Credit: Edited by Inside the MagicAnimation buffs everywhere know that Disney hasn’t been wowing people at the box office lately. The company’s recent films have been a financial low for Disney Animation, but this is a gradual change that’s been developing for the past few years. Moreover, recent suspicions indicate that might have something to do with the sudden departure of John Lasseter.
CNBC recently interviewed Disney CEO Bob Iger regarding the conditions and recent developments at the Walt Disney Company, and reporter David Faber raised a very poignant question regarding Disney Animation.
When Disney Lost Lasseter
Faber asked Iger if the loss of former Pixar head, John Lasseter, was a blow to the company over time, to which the CEO replied simply that a lot of talent had been lost at Disney and Pixar due to turnover, seeming to dodge a direct answer to the question. The fact is that there might be more to the statement than Iger is letting on.
In 2018, the then-head of Disney and Pixar Animation Studios announced he would be stepping away from the company. An article from The New York Times from that same year reads,
Mr. Lasseter said in November that he would take a “six-month sabbatical” after unspecified “missteps” that made some staff members feel “disrespected or uncomfortable.” He announced in a lengthy email to employees, apologizing “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.”
Many famous figures were put under extreme scrutiny in the wake of the #MeToo movement, and Lasseter was one of several icons that were accused of misconduct of a sexual nature. While he has expressed “deep sorrow and shame” for his actions, the animator has never been accused or charged with any crime.
That all being said, could Disney have killed their golden goose? The last feature film John Lasseter officially had a solid hand in was 2018’s Ralph Breaks the Internet, and it seems like Disney has been struggling ever since.
Although fans have seen stellar movies like Turning Red, Encanto, and more, they don’t have the same flavor as Lasseter’s productions before 2018. The disgraced director is still creating new films but has reportedly been excruciatingly critical of some of Disney and Pixar’s recent work. Accusations or none, it’s entirely probable that John Lasseter’s leave was the tipping point for Disney’s current status.
Do you think Disney should try to bring back Lasseter? Tell Inside the Magic what you think in the comments below!