Yahoo News Toy Story 3 and Coco director Lee Unkrich leaves Disney Pixar
Toy Story 3 director Lee Unkrich has decided to hang up his animating boots and leave Disney Pixar after 25 years.
Fans of the powerhouse studio can also thank Unkrich for the likes of Monsters Inc, Finding Nemo and Toy Story 2, all of which he co-directed, not to mention his wonderful fantasy film Coco.
Releasing a short statement to Entertainment Weekly, the 51-year-old explained: "I'm not leaving to make films at another studio; instead, I look forward to spending much-needed time with my family and pursuing interests that have long been back-burnered."
Unkrich has also shared the letter he sent to his "Pixar family" after making the decision, posting on social media: "It is impossible for me to adequately express how epic this 25-year journey has been, and how much it has meant to work alongside such fantastic people and phenomenal talents.
"Many of you are like family to me, and it's nearly incomprehensible to imagine no longer being here at Pixar with you. But life is about change, and it's now my time for new challenges and new adventures.
Letter sent to my Pixar family. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/UUonemVbLe
- Lee Unkrich (@leeunkrich) January 19, 2019
"I often tell people that the worst thing about working at Pixar is that I have never gotten to see 'the new Pixar movie' without having worked on it or knowing everything about it," he continued.
"While it will be many years before I get that opportunity, I look forward to it. I'll be first in line to see what you create together."
Pixar's chief creative officer Pete Docter has nothing but admiration for the filmmaker, adding: "He literally taught us rookie filmmakers about staging, composition and cutting. His artistry and expert craftsmanship as an editor and co-director became a major reason for the high-quality of our filmmaking, and as Lee went on to direct, his ability to find the deep humour and emotion enabled him to create some of the strongest films we've made."
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