‘Moana’ Producer Osnat Shurer Joins Baobab Studios As Co-Chief Creative Officer
Nine-time Emmy-winning company Baobab Studios has revealed that veteran Disney and Pixar producer Osnat Shurer is joining the company as co-chief creative officer.
Shurer will help lead the company’s creative team alongside current chief creative officer and filmmaker Eric Darnell, best known for directing several installments in the Madagascar franchise. Shurer has more than 30 years of industry experience that she will look to utilize in guiding Baobab’s original IP pipeline, which includes the multi-platform property Momoguro and future Disney+ titles such as Intercats and The Witchverse.
Of her new role, Shurer said:
Throughout my career, I’ve been at the forefront of shaping stories with fresh, nuanced, powerful female protagonists. You can imagine why I was immediately drawn to Baobab and this fantastic group of mavericks and the opportunity to explore the very cutting-edge of technology and games in service of telling great stories.
Shurer previously served as vp of development at Walt Disney Feature Animation and was an executive producer of Pixar’s short films group. At Disney, she produced Raya and the Last Dragon and Moana. At Pixar, her producer and executive producer credits included Lifted, One Man Band, and Boundin’.
Baobab CEO Maureen Fan said:
[Shurer] has a gift for launching franchises with beloved characters that resonate across ages and cultures. Osnat’s extensive background brings invaluable expertise to our growing story franchises across film, television, games, and books.
Darnell added:
I’m excited to partner with Osnat to build out our slate and shepherd new projects into production. She has already hit the ground running at Baobab, proving that she has the creativity, experience, leadership skills, and collaborative instincts to get things done.
Shurer joins a Baobab creative team that includes Darnell and chief content officer Kane Lee (Oni: Thunder God’s Tale), as well as advisors and investors such as Pixar co-founder and former Disney Feature Animation president Ed Catmull and legendary Disney animator and Oscar-winning filmmaker Glenn Keane (director, Dear Basketball; animator, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast).
