Earlier this month, we reported that Walt Disney Animation and Pixar CCO John Lasster was finally—finally—stepping down from those two companies, just about seven months after numerous allegations of sexual harassment came out against him (including stories about prolonged hugs, unwanted touching and kissing, and comments about the physical appearance of female employees).
Lasseter had been on a self-imposed leave from Pixar and Walt Disney Animation since November, with insiders assuming he would never return, but now we know he’ll remain in a “consulting” position for the rest of the year before fully leaving. We also now know who will be replacing him, with Variety reporting that Jennifer Lee will be stepping in as the new chief creative officer at Walt Disney Animation while Pete Docter will be replacing Lasseter as the new chief creative officer at Pixar.
If those names sound familiar, it’s because they should. Lee was the director of Frozen, meaning she also happens to be the first woman to have directed a movie that made more than $1 billion at the box office, while Docter was the director Inside Out and has been at Pixar nearly since the studio started. They both released statements about their new positions, though neither of them mentioned Lasseter. “My hope is to support the incredible talent we have, find new voices, and work together to tell original stories,” Lee said, with Docter also noting that he and the rest of Pixar will continue “using the latest technology to tell stories we hope will surprise and delight audiences around the world.”