What is John Lasseter's professional history after leaving Pixar?
Executive summary
John Lasseter formally stepped down as chief creative officer of Pixar and Walt Disney Animation at the end of 2018 after a 2017 leave amid reports of “missteps” involving inappropriate behavior; Disney announced his departure and said he would consult through December 31, 2018 [1]. After leaving Disney/Pixar, reporting and later company statements say Lasseter was hired to head Skydance Animation, where he resumed a leadership role in animation (Wikipedia summary and trade reporting referenced in the provided sources) — however, available sources in this set offer uneven detail about his post-Disney activities and reception [2] [1] [3].
1. The public exit: “missteps,” sabbatical and planned departure
In November 2017 Lasseter took a six‑month sabbatical described as resulting from “missteps” that made some employees feel “disrespected or uncomfortable,” and in June 2018 Disney announced he would leave his CCO roles at Pixar and Walt Disney Animation by year’s end while serving as a consultant until December 31, 2018 [2] [1] [4]. Major outlets framed the exit in the wider context of #MeToo revelations about powerful industry figures, and Disney’s statements praised his creative legacy even as they acknowledged the personnel and culture issues raised during that period [4] [1].
2. What the record says about immediate next steps
Multiple sources in the provided set state that, following his official exit from Disney, Lasseter was later hired to run Skydance Animation — a move reported in company notices and entertainment trades cited in summaries of his career [2] [3]. The Wikipedia summary included here specifically lists that he “has served as the head of animation at Skydance Animation since 2019,” and other trade snippets in the set mention Skydance’s decision to keep its animation unit separate with Lasseter continuing as animation head [2] [3].
3. Reporting on reputation and studio changes after his departure
Commentary in indie trade reporting within the collection emphasizes how Pixar tried to move beyond the “old guard” as Lasseter exited, naming new creative leaders such as Pete Docter and Andrew Stanton and noting internal shifts in culture and hiring priorities after 2018 [5]. That reporting frames Lasseter’s removal as both a personnel consequence of reported misconduct and a turning point for Pixar’s succession planning and culture [5].
4. Post‑Disney creative output and reception (limited details in these sources)
Some entertainment outlets in the provided set reference Lasseter’s later creative work and its mixed reception, including mentions that a post‑Pixar film under his leadership did not open strongly and that projects at Skydance were underway for streaming platforms like Apple TV+ [6] [3]. However, these snippets in this collection do not give a full filmography, release dates, or box‑office/critical aggregates; available sources do not mention comprehensive lists of his post‑Pixar credits or definitive critical tallies in this set [6] [3].
5. Competing perspectives: legacy vs. conduct
The documents supplied present competing emphases: Disney and many outlets acknowledged Lasseter’s central creative role in building Pixar and reshaping animation, praising his achievements [4] [1], while other pieces and summaries foreground allegations about inappropriate behavior and the effect on staff, portraying his exit as part of accountability trends in Hollywood [2] [5]. Readers should weigh both strands: acknowledged creative influence and the serious workplace conduct concerns that precipitated his departure [4] [5].
6. Limits of the current reporting set and what’s not covered
This collection documents the departure from Disney, the sabbatical and subsequent hiring at Skydance, plus commentary about studio change; however, it lacks full, sourced detail here on specific Skydance projects Lasseter led, exhaustive lists of post‑Disney credits, exact dates of Skydance hires or later developments beyond brief trade notes, and any primary statements from Skydance or Lasseter in 2019–2025 beyond summary lines [2] [3]. For a complete and current accounting of his post‑Pixar filmography, corporate role timeline, and how colleagues and industry reacted over time, consult primary Skydance releases, full trade reports, and up‑to‑date film databases not included in this set — those items are not found in the current reporting provided (not found in current reporting).
Sources cited in this summary: Wikipedia career summary [2]; mainstream reporting of the leave and departure (The Guardian, IndieWire) [4] [1]; trade and industry snippets mentioning Skydance appointment and later notes [3]; reflective reporting on Pixar after his exit [5]; feature summary pieces and retrospectives [6].