Lee Unkrich, i.e. the director who brought us the tear-jerking Toy Story 3, has announced that he will be leaving Pixar after 25 years.
Unkrich announced the news to his employees last week (January 18) before sharing a heartfelt letter on Twitter.
“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,” Unkrich posted, addressing his kind words to his “Pixar family.”
“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.”
He continued: “I am not leaving to make films at another studio”. Instead he promises that his decision will see him “spending much-needed time with my family and pursuing interests that have long been back-burnered.”
He added: “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. 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.”
Best of luck Lee Unkrich and thank you for your wonderful contribution to Pixar.
