John Lasseter has had a long career with both Disney and Pixar Animation Studios. He has had a hand in making many family favorites come to life, including Toy Story, Moana, Frozen, Monsters Inc., and Cars. Given his ties to Disney, it should come as no shock to anyone that some of his former colleagues have decided to join him at Skydance Animation. Here is more information about the former All-Star Disney Team joining John Lasseter.
Rich Moore
Rich Moore is a talented animation director, screenwriter, and voice actor. He has played a role in helping many Disney and Pixar films, including The Incredibles and Wreck-It Ralph. He has also helped with animation for television shows, including The Simpsons and Futurama. The last film that Rich Moore had a hand in creating was an animated feature with Sony Pictures called Vivo. He recently announced that he has left Sony Pictures and joined John Lasseter at Skydance Animation.
Brad Bird
Brad Bird is an animator who got his start with Disney Studios. While working for Disney, he helped with classics such as The Fox and The Hound and The Black Cauldron. Mr. Bird has also used his talent to help with shows such as The Simpsons and The Iron Giant. Mr. Bird then wound up taking a position at Pixar Animation, where he worked with John Lasseter to help make popular films such as The Incredibles and Ratatouille. It was recently announced that Brad Bird is reviving his popular idea called Ray Gunn for Skydance Animation.
Alan Menken
Alan Menken is a talented music producer who helps produce songs for films. While working for Disney, Mr. Menken helped create music for The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Enchanted, and Tangled. He also produced music for beloved musicals Newsies and Little Shop of Horrors. While Mr. Menken is still involved with Disney projects, it was recently announced that he is creating songs for the upcoming Skydance Animation studio’s release of Spellbound. Alan Menken has created some of the most recognizable songs in animated films, so it will be interesting to see what he brings with him to Skydance Animation.
The Future
The future at Skydance Animation is looking bright. While its first releases were delayed when the COVID-19 global pandemic happened, life is getting back to normal, and people are making their way back to movie theaters. As such, the focus is back on Skydance Animation and John Lasseter. The recent announcements from the studio that they have hired all-stars from Disney and Pixar Studios show those in the industry that the animation studio is here to stay and looking to make its mark in the animation world. There is a lot of hope that the first films to come out of the studio will be box office successes.
As soon as Skydance Animation acquired John Lasseter, heads immediately started to turn, and people began to wonder how he would use his creative genius with a new studio. Now the plan is starting to fall into place and we are seeing both Mr. Lasseter and Skydance Animation announce the hiring of many skilled animation professionals, including Rich Moore, Brad Bird, and Alan Menken. Skydance Animation now has all eyes on it as it moves forward with its upcoming releases, including Luck, Spellbound, and Ray Gunn.