Emma Thompson 'quits film role over appointment of ex-Pixar boss John Lasseter'

Emma Thompson, the acclaimed British actress, has reportedly left her role in a major forthcoming film after a Hollywood supremo accused of sexual harassment joined the production.

The Academy Award-winning star was set to voice a character in Luck, an animated comedy being produced by Skydance Animations.

However, the company attracted criticism last month when it hired the co-founder of Pixar, John Lasseter.

Lasseter stepped down from his role as chief creative officer at Disney Pixar last year after a slew of allegations about his behaviour towards women were made public.

He admitted “missteps” in his conduct prior to taking a leave of absence from Disney Pixar over the claims, but, after leaving the studio giant, was confirmed as the new head of animation at Skydance in January.

Thompson is believed to have quietly left Luck over her concerns about working with Lasseter, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

She had not yet begun recording for her role in the film, which was due to be the first major release from Skydance Animations, an arm of Skydance Media, in 2021.

A leaked memo released when Lasseter announced his sabbatical from Disney Pixar revealed that he acknowledged that he had been "falling short" when it came to making other members of the team feel valued, and referred to putting people on the "receiving end of an unwanted hug or any other gesture they felt crossed the line" as "missteps".

Thompson, meanwhile, has been outspoken about sexual harassment in the film industry since the dawn of the #MeToo era - accusing disgraced mogul Harvey Weinstein of being a “predator”.

Last night her agent could not be reached for comment on the claims she had pulled out of her role.

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