John Lasseter

As Head of Skydance Animation, John Lasseter is responsible for setting the overall strategy and creative direction for the studio. In this role, he will drive the division’s artistic growth, overseeing production and operations, to ensure a robust slate of animated entertainment across all media.

Previously, Lasseter was the Chief Creative Officer, Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios and Principal Creative Advisor, Walt Disney Imagineering. Lasseter made his directorial debut in 1995 with Toy Story, the world’s first feature-length computer-animated film, for which he received a Special Achievement Academy Award®. He also directed A Bug’s Life, Toy Story 2, Cars and Cars 2. Lasseter executive produced all Pixar features since Monsters, Inc., including the studio’s nine Academy Award®-winners Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Ratatouille, WALL•E, Up, Toy Story 3, Brave, Inside Out and Coco as well as films The Good Dinosaur, Finding Dory, Cars 3 and Incredibles 2. Lasseter served as executive producer of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ films including Bolt, The Princess and the Frog, Tangled, Winnie the Pooh, Wreck-It Ralph, Moana, Ralph Breaks the Internet and the Academy Award®-winning features Frozen, Big Hero 6 and Zootopia.

Lasseter wrote, directed and animated Pixar’s first short films, including the Academy Award® winning Tin Toy and the Academy Award® nominated Luxo Jr among others and served as executive producer on all of the studio’s subsequent shorts.

In his role as principal creative advisor for Walt Disney Imagineering, Lasseter was instrumental in bringing to life Cars Land, a massive 12-acre expansion of Disney California Adventure Park.

Among his many honors and awards, including two Academy Awards®, Lasseter became the first producer of animated films ever to receive the Producers Guild of America’s David O. Selznick Achievement Award in Motion Pictures.

Lasseter was part of the inaugural class of the character animation program at California Institute of the Arts and received his B.F.A. in film.