Emma Thompson Quit A Film After John Lasseter, The Pixar Cofounder Accused Of Sexual Misconduct, Joined

Thompson's exit comes after Skydance Animation employees expressed dissatisfaction with John Lasseter's hiring.

Actor Emma Thompson has quit an animated movie after she found out she would have to work with animator John Lasseter, the Pixar cofounder who stepped down from his post last year amid allegations of workplace sexual misconduct.

A representative for Thompson confirmed to BuzzFeed News on Tuesday that the actor removed herself from the upcoming animated project when Lasseter was announced as the head of the Skydance Animation in January. The Hollywood Reporter was first with the news on Tuesday. Thompson's reps had no further comment on the matter.

The actor had been set to voice a character in a film called Luck, which will open in theaters in 2021. She'd already begun attending recording sessions, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

On IMDB, Luck is described only as "a comedy that pulls back the curtain on the millennia-old battle between the organizations of good luck and bad luck that secretly affects our daily lives."

Lasseter left Pixar last year after he was accused of "grabbing, kissing, [and] making comments about physical attributes" of employees in a THR report in November 2017.

"It’s been brought to my attention that I have made some of you feel disrespected or uncomfortable. That was never my intent," Lasseter said in a statement at the time, responding to the allegations.

"I especially want to apologize to anyone who has ever been on the receiving end of an unwanted hug or any other gesture they felt crossed the line in any way, shape, or form," he said.

His recent hiring at Skydance has been a source of anxiety for some of the studio's employees after his alleged misconduct while at Pixar, according to Variety.

Lasseter was one of the first employees of Pixar Animation Studios and helped define feature animation for a quarter of a century.

He cowrote and directed the original Toy Story film and had a hand in reviving Disney’s animated films when the company bought Pixar in 2006.

Thompson previously starred in the 2012 Disney Pixar film Brave, on which Lasseter served as executive producer.

Representatives for Skydance Animation did not immediately respond to BuzzFeed News' request for comment.

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