Pixar Co-Founder And Former Disney Animation Boss Ed Catmull Joins Baobab Board

Boabab Studios has announced that Pixar co-founder and former longtime president of Walt Disney Animation Studios Ed Catmull has joined its board of directors and creative advisory board.

Here are details of the appointment:

• Catmull is joining Baobab’s board, which also Twitch co-founder Kevin Lin and PDI co-founder and former chief visual and technology officer at EA Glenn Entis.
• According to the studio, Catmull is charged with guiding Baobab “on their creative and operations as the studio accelerates its award-winning storytelling across both emerging and traditional mediums.”
• Launched in 2015, Baobab already has nine Emmy wins to its name. The studio’s credits include innovative vr fare such as Invasion!, Crow: The Legend, and Baba Yaga. The studio also recently announced it is teaming with Disney Branded Television on The Witchverse, and anthology series for Disney+ based on the Baba Yaga short.
• Baobab made news last month when it made five high-profile hires for its creative and marketing teams: Erick Oh, Jony Chandra, Hayley Porter, Michael McCormick, and Brian Tinsman.
• Catmull served as president of both Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar from 2006, when Disney acquired Pixar, through 2019. During his tenure, the studios released several iconic films including Big Hero 6, Frozen, Finding Nemo, Incredibles 2 and Toy Story 4, among others.
• “I’m honored to join the board of directors of Baobab Studios and to be part of their creative journey,” said Catmull in a release. “Baobab is at the forefront of telling incredible stories across mediums, and I look forward to supporting the entire team as the company evolves into the preeminent animation studio of the future.”
• “I have followed Ed’s work for years and am proud to welcome him to our board of directors,” said Maureen Fan, CEO and co-founder of Baobab Studios. “Ed’s leadership and innovative genius in the world of animation is unparalleled, and his insight will be invaluable as we imagine new characters and worlds, as well as an active role for our audiences inside of them.”

Pictured at top: “Crow: The Legend,” “Baba Yaga,” “Invasion!”