David Conley Appointed President Of VFX/Animation Powerhouse MPC

David Conley, former executive producer at New Zealand’s Wētā FX, has been appointed president of the multinational visual effects and animation studio Moving Picture Company (MPC) – The Jungle Book (2016), The Lion King (2019), and the upcoming Mufasa: The Lion King. The announcement was made by MPC’s parent company Technicolor Group.

Conley’s recent work at Wētā included HBO’s videogame adaptation The Last of Us, and War is Over! – the 2024 Oscar-winning animated short inspired by the music of John Lennon and Yoko Ono. His more than ten years of features at Wētā included Alien: Romulus, Avatar: The Way of Water, Mortal Engines, Avengers: Endgame, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, and War for the Planet of the Apes.

At MPC, Conley will oversee operations at the studio’s facilities in Montreal, Toronto, Los Angeles, Paris, Liege, Adelaide, Bangalore, and Mumbai. MPC’s recent and upcoming projects include the Prime series The Boys, and Disney’s hybrid adaptations of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Lilo and Stitch.

Conley, who began his career in film production working for Paramount and Fox, will be based in London, and will report directly to Technicolor chief business & strategy officer Andrea Miloro and chief executive officer Caroline Parot.

In a Technicolor Group press release, Conley stated, “I am honored to join MPC at such an exciting moment in its journey. The team’s talent, passion, and ambitions to push creative boundaries are inspirational, and I look forward to collaborating with Andrea, Caroline, and the entire team to shape the future.”

Miloro and Parot added in a statement, “David’s appointment embodies our commitment to delivering world-class visual experiences. Renowned as a visionary creative leader, his passion for pioneering emerging technologies perfectly aligns with our mission to redefine the boundaries of possibility in visual effects.”