Apple TV+ bets on ‘Luck,’ animated film produced by controversial ‘Toy Story’ exec

That’s what Apple TV+ hopes will happen to John Lasseter, the former Pixar guru who resigned in the face of allegations of harassment over the #MeToo movement, later taking over the direction of newcomer Skydance Animation.

“Luck”, the studio’s first film, which will arrive for streaming this Friday, August 5, tells the adventures of 18-year-old Sam and the talking black cat Bob, in the fantastic Land of Luck (Land of Luck). .

In this place, the world’s good and bad luck is produced by magical creatures, including goblins, dragons, unicorns, and goblins, who send it to Earth.

John Lasseter: Pixar Genius Explains The Love That Saved Disney

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Directed by Peggy Holmes (“Tinker Bell”), the film features the voices of Simon Pegg, Whoopi Goldberg and Jane Fonda, as well as theater star Eva Noblezada, who plays Sam, the unluckiest girl in the world.

But the cast suffered an initial drop, when Emma Thompson announced that she was out of the project in 2019 when she published a letter in the Los Angeles Times newspaper that pointed to the hiring of Lasseter as the reason for her departure. It was a decision that other actors reflected on.

Pegg told AFP how he “initially” had doubts before deciding to continue. “I think it’s dangerous to cancel people right away if there’s responsibility, if they recognize it, if they accept it,” he said.

Lasseter was responsible for transforming Pixar from a small Lucasfilm animation department into the most successful animation studio in the world with productions such as “Toy Story”.

However, he was accused of harassment in 2017, due to the #MeToo movement, which exposed the sexist culture rooted in the film and television industry.

Then president of the powerful studio, Lasseter apologized to “whoever received an unwanted hug” and for failing to ensure a culture of “trust and respect”.

The official resigned the following year, acknowledging in an internal memo that he had made the team feel “disrespected and uncomfortable”.

Several sources claimed that Lasseter drank heavily at company socials and tried to kiss women, put his hands on their thighs and hug them at meetings.

Emma Thompson leaves animation in which John Lasseter is involved, accused of harassment

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In his letter, Thompson called Lasseter’s case “complicated.”

After being hired by Skydance, Thompson stated that “any Skydance employee who doesn’t want to give him a second chance must stay and put up with his discomfort or lose his job”.

For Pegg, it’s important that Lasseter “admitted responsibility for the things he was accused of.” “We are all doomed if we get banned for things we regret and apologize for, sincere apologies. This is the most important thing.”

Goldberg had a more succinct opinion: “Everyone makes mistakes at some point,” he told AFP.