By Erich Schwartzel and Ben Fritz
LOS ANGELES--Executives at Walt Disney Co. have discussed
bringing animation guru John Lasseter back to the company in a new
role that would reduce his managerial power but allow him to retain
creative influence, according to a person familiar with the
matter.
Those discussions come as the end of Mr. Lasseter's six-month
leave, taken following accusations of unwelcome hugging and other
touching, approaches on May 21. So far, Disney has given no
indication whether or not Mr. Lasseter will return. It is also
possible that Monday will pass with no decision.
Pixar Animation Studios and Walt Disney Animation, which Mr.
Lasseter helped develop into family-entertainment powerhouses, have
adapted to operating in his absence, even as staff members remain
in the dark about who will lead them, employees said. The
entertainment giant faces a tricky situation in deciding what to do
about Mr. Lasseter, a predicament facing many companies in the
#MeToo era as they deal with executives whose infractions they
didn't consider severe enough to warrant termination.
In Mr. Lasseter's case, Disney executives led by Chief Executive
Robert Iger are deciding the fate of a man long considered one of
Hollywood's most bankable and well-known creative geniuses.
In his position as chief creative officer of Disney's studios, a
title he has retained while on leave, Mr. Lasseter has steered a
number of the company's most valuable franchises, including "Toy
Story" and "Finding Nemo." After Disney acquired Pixar in 2005, he
helped lead a revival of Disney Animation Studios, which made
"Frozen" and "Zootopia," and consulted on everything from toy
design to theme park attractions.
Along the way, Mr. Lasseter became something of a celebrity
himself, showing up at Disney fan conventions to present new
footage or sell versions of his signature Hawaiian shirts. Rosé
from his family's Sonoma Valley vineyard is still available at
Disneyland and Walt Disney World.
A representative for Mr. Lasseter didn't respond to a request
for comment.
If Mr. Lasseter returns in his prior role, Disney risks
alienating employees and opening itself to blame for any future
inappropriate behavior on his part. Some current and former Pixar
employees have told media outlets, including The Wall Street
Journal, that Mr. Lasseter regularly hugged or otherwise touched
them without consent.
Some employees said that Mr. Lasseter's behavior didn't bother
them. Others, however, particularly younger women, said they were
uncomfortable and came forward in the light of the #MeToo
movement.
In announcing his leave in November, Mr. Lasseter, 61 years old,
said: "I especially want to apologize 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."
Since then, Mr. Lasseter has disappeared from public view.
Disney employees said they haven't heard from him and don't know
where he is.
He left immediately before the debut of Pixar's Oscar-winning
"Coco" and has been absent as the studios ready two high-profile
releases: Pixar's "The Incredibles 2," out June 15, and Disney
Animation's "Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2" in
November. Other projects that have moved forward without his
involvement include "Toy Story 4" and "Frozen 2," scheduled for
2019.
In considering a redefined role for Mr. Lasseter, Disney
leadership appears to be attempting to maintain the benefit of his
creative input without the liabilities that could come from his
being in charge of thousands of employees, as he previously
was.
Day-to-day management duties, including hiring or firing
capabilities, would be removed or contained in the scenario being
considered, the person familiar with the matter said. Reining in
Mr. Lasseter's managerial oversight could be complicated, however,
as his power came less from his official title than his unofficial
position as Disney's most-valued creative employee, people who
worked with him said.
It is still possible he could leave altogether or come back with
his old job unchanged, the person added.
His absence has been felt in every corner of Disney's animation
business, current and former employees say. Though he personally
directed only five movies, the last one in 2011, he consulted on
every movie at Pixar and Disney Animation, weighing in anywhere
from every few weeks to every few months depending on how smoothly
production was running, employees said. Approval from Mr. Lasseter
was necessary to move past key benchmarks in writing,
storyboarding, production and editing.
Now Disney is relying primarily on a panel of artists, producers
and executives at each studio to make creative decisions, according
to current and former employees, a more diffuse approach than Mr.
Lasseter's arrangement.
Other experienced creative hands are helping to lead upcoming
movies in Mr. Lasseter's absence. Andrew Stanton, director of
"WALL-E" and "Finding Dory," is filling that role on "Toy Story 4,"
whose director, Josh Cooley, hasn't previously made a feature.
Jim Oberman
contributed to this article.
Write to Erich Schwartzel at erich.schwartzel@wsj.com and Ben
Fritz at ben.fritz@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
May 16, 2018 05:44 ET (09:44 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2018 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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