It’s a sad day for the people that worked under Lee Unkrich because the “Toy Story 3” and “Coco” director has announced his decision to leave Disney Pixar after 25 years, saying that it’s “time for new challenges and new adventures.”
Fans of the powerhouse studio are also sad to hear of his departure because they have Unkrich to thank for the likes of so many classics such as “Monsters Inc,” “Finding Nemo” and “Toy Story 2,” all of which he co-directed.
In a short statement to Entertainment Weekly, the 51-year-old director said: “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 also wrote a letter to his “Pixar family,” which he later shared 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.”
In other news, Disney recently confirmed that their new Pixar original story will be called “Onward” and revealed that Chris Pratt will appear alongside Veep’s Julia Louise-Dreyfus and Spider-Man’s Tom Holland.
