Emma Thompson Pens Letter To Skydance Refusing To Work With John Lasseter – Read It Here

By Hoai-Tran BuiFeb. 26, 2019 9:30 am EST

Emma Thompson has penned a letter speaking out against the hiring of John Lasseter at Skydance Animation. The animation division of Skydance is preparing to launch with the film Luck, in which Thompson was originally set to star. However, Skydance has been in hot water since its controversial decision to hire Lasseter following the animation magnate's exit from Disney and Pixar in the wake of unspecified sexual harassment allegations.

Thompson quietly left the project in late January, but has now penned a letter addressed to Skydance explaining why she refuses to work with Lasseter and criticizing the studio's decision to stand by the Toy Story director.

Emma Thompson, longtime protector of women and newly anointed dame commander of the British Empire, has made the first major statement against Lasseter following the re-surfacing of the former Disney and Pixar chief after allegations of sexual harassment in late 2017. The two-time Oscar winner has penned a letter to Skydance Animation enumerating her concerns with Lasseter's hiring and lambasting Skydance for putting their employees' well-being at risk.

"It feels very odd to me that you and your company would consider hiring someone with Mr. Lasseter's pattern of misconduct given the present climate in which people with the kind of power that you have can reasonably be expected to step up to the plate," Thompson writes.

In early February, it was reported that Thompson had pulled out of working on Luck citing concerns about Lasseter's hiring. According to representatives, Thompson had begun conversations about exiting the project as soon as Lasseter's hiring was announced. Despite feeble efforts on Skydance and Lasseter's parts to assuage employee concerns over the new Skydance Animation Head's hiring, Thompson's exit was accompanied by the Paramount staff that had been working on the film, spurred by Paramount Animation chief Mirielle Soria.

Thompson sent her letter to Skydance management, but she has released it in full to The LA Times. Read the full letter below.

Emma Thompson John Lasseter Letter

As you know, I have pulled out of the production of "Luck" — to be directed by the very wonderful Alessandro Carloni. It feels very odd to me that you and your company would consider hiring someone with Mr. Lasseter's pattern of misconduct given the present climate in which people with the kind of power that you have can reasonably be expected to step up to the plate.I realise that the situation — involving as it does many human beings — is complicated. However these are the questions I would like to ask:

If a man has been touching women inappropriately for decades, why would a woman want to work for him if the only reason he's not touching them inappropriately now is that it says in his contract that he must behave "professionally"?

If a man has made women at his companies feel undervalued and disrespected for decades, why should the women at his new company think that any respect he shows them is anything other than an act that he's required to perform by his coach, his therapist and his employment agreement? The message seems to be, "I am learning to feel respect for women so please be patient while I work on it. It's not easy."

Much has been said about giving John Lasseter a "second chance." But he is presumably being paid millions of dollars to receive that second chance. How much money are the employees at Skydance being paid to GIVE him that second chance?

If John Lasseter started his own company, then every employee would have been given the opportunity to choose whether or not to give him a second chance. But any Skydance employees who don't want to give him a second chance have to stay and be uncomfortable or lose their jobs. Shouldn't it be John Lasseter who has to lose HIS job if the employees don't want to give him a second chance?

Skydance has revealed that no women received settlements from Pixar or Disney as a result of being harassed by John Lasseter. But given all the abuse that's been heaped on women who have come forward to make accusations against powerful men, do we really think that no settlements means that there was no harassment or no hostile work environment? Are we supposed to feel comforted that women who feel that their careers were derailed by working for Lasseter DIDN'T receive money?

I hope these queries make the level of my discomfort understandable. I regret having to step away because I love Alessandro so much and think he is an incredibly creative director. But I can only do what feels right during these difficult times of transition and collective consciousness raising.I am well aware that centuries of entitlement to women's bodies whether they like it or not is not going to change overnight. Or in a year. But I am also aware that if people who have spoken out — like me — do not take this sort of a stand then things are very unlikely to change at anything like the pace required to protect my daughter's generation.Yours most sincerely,Emma Thompson