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Pixar’s first female director leaves

If there is one slight against the Pixar brain trust, it’s that it’s a boy’s club. I don’t think it’s a matter of intent, but rather it evolved that way out of the initial friendships that helped create Pixar. Brenda Chapman was the first woman at Pixar to break through the barrier and earn the right to direct a film.

Chapman developed the story behind Brave and eventually was named as its director. Alas, she was removed from the film half-way through its production and replaced with Mark Andrews. Creative differences between the brain trust at Pixar and Chapman were said to be behind the removal.

As many have speculated, the writing was on the wall for Chapman and she has left Pixar for a consultant role at Lucasfilm as of the end of last month. No one is saying she was a bad director, she did a great job with DreamWork’s Prince of Egypt. But when you’re removed from a project that you created, there is an undeniable breach of trust. Ask Chris Sanders of Disney’s Lilo & Stitch about that.

(Via PixarPortal)

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3 thoughts on “Pixar’s first female director leaves”

  1. GarronWorks

    Very interesting. Prince of Egypt is my favorite movie of all time. Don’t get me wrong, I am a huge Disney fan and I love Disney and Pixar movies, but Prince of Egypt is one of the most beautiful movies I have seen and nothing can beat Hans Zimmer’s amazing score!

  2. tj

    I am beginning to feel a strong hatred towards Pixar Animation. Not only are they the most egotistical studio in the world (“we have the BEST stories in the world! You guys can’t compare with our brilliance!”) but they are completely sexist. Practically all their films star male-centric heroes, leaving women as bozos, stay-at-home moms, and/or troublemakers.

    I am pleased that Brenda bailed out. She never fit with this studio from the day she started: too many masculinists elbowing her out of the limelight. I hope her talent is better appreciated at her new place of employment.

    And I totally agree with GarronWorks; yeah to Prince of Egypt, one of the most underrated American animated film of the last 15 years.

  3. Pingback: Pixar Exile Brenda Chapman Speaks | The Disney Blog

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