I had initially heard about director Lee Unkrich when he was hired as director for "Toy Story 3." Little did I know that he had also worked behind the scenes as an editor on "Toy Story," and has had co-director credits on "Finding Nemo," "Toy Story 2," and "Monsters Inc." Anyway, "Toy Story 3" was his own creation and it was such a success that he then was tasked to helm "Coco“ which ended up making close $800 Million worldwide.
And so, it must be a terrible loss for Pixar that Unkrich has announced his retirement. He’s worked close to 25 years with the toon company.
On Friday, Unkrich informed Pixar employees of his decision. “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,” said Unkrich, 51. [via THR]
Unkrich also tweeted the letter he sent to his colleagues at Pixar. "It is impossible for me to adequately express how epic this twenty-five-year journey has been, and how much it has meant to work alongside such fantastic people and phenomenal talents," he wrote. "Many of you are like family to me, and it's nearly incomprehensible to imagine no longer being here at Pixar with you."
THR says the departure is amicable.