Meet the new bosses!

Pete Docter and Jennifer Lee aren't technically "new" to the Disney team, but they just got promoted to replace John Lasseter.

Pete Docter is the new Chief Creative Officer of Pixar Animation Studios, with Jennifer Lee as Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios.

Docter directed Pixar's "Up" and "Inside Out," and Lee co-wrote "Wreck-It Ralph" and co-directed "Frozen."

So clearly they are promoting talent from in-house for what will hopefully be a smooth transition. It was recently announced that John Lasseter is stepping down from his role as chief creative officer of both Pixar and Disney Animation, effective December 31.

Walt Disney Studios chairman Alan Horn issued a statement on the news (via THR):

"Jennifer Lee and Pete Docter are two of the most gifted filmmakers and storytellers I've ever had the pleasure to work with. Pete, the genius creative force behind Up, Inside Out and Monsters, Inc., has been an integral part of Pixar almost since the beginning and is a huge part of its industry-leading success. Jenn, in bringing her bold vision to the boundary-breaking Frozen, has helped infuse Disney Animation with a new and exciting perspective. Each of them embodies the unique spirit, culture and values of these renowned animation studios, and I couldn't be more thrilled to have them to lead us into the future."

Here's a statement from Jennifer Lee, who is in production on "Frozen 2" and an executive producer of the upcoming "Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2":

"I am deeply grateful to everyone at Walt Disney Animation Studios and The Walt Disney Company for this opportunity. Animation is the most collaborative art form in the world, and it is with the partnership of my fellow filmmakers, artists and innovators that we look ahead to the future. My hope is to support the incredible talent we have, find new voices and work together to tell original stories. The great films of Disney Animation — the films I loved as a kid and my daughter has grown up loving — are magical, timeless and full of heart, and it is our goal to create films that carry on and grow this 95-year legacy for future generations."

Here's a statement from Pete Docter:

"I am excited and humbled to be asked to take on this role. It is not something I take lightly; making films at Pixar has been my chronic obsession since I started here 28 years ago. I am fortunate to work alongside some of the most talented people on the planet, and together we will keep pushing animation in new directions, using the latest technology to tell stories we hope will surprise and delight audiences around the world."

Congrats to the new team! "Incredibles 2" is going great guns for Pixar the moment, breaking tons of records in its first weekend. Disney's "Wreck-It Ralph 2" opens in theaters November 21. "Frozen 2" opens November 27, 2019.

[Via: The Hollywood Reporter]

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