Breaking: Mireille Soria Out As Dreamworks Animation’s Co-President
And then there was one…
Dreamworks Animation’s Mireille Soria is stepping down from her role as co-president of feature animation and returning to producing. A veteran producer with over 30 years experience, Soria had been promoted co-president in January 2015 with Bonnie Arnold, following the departure of Bill Damaschke.
The announcement about Soria was made in a December 12 memo by Universal Pictures chairman Donna Langley. In the letter, Langley confirmed that Arnold would remain in her role at Dreamworks, becoming the sole president of feature animation. A copy of the memo, obtained by Variety, can be read below:
Dear Colleagues,
I am writing to let you know that Mireille has decided to return to focusing solely on producing and will be transitioning out of her executive role as Co-President as we wrap up both Boss Baby and Captain Underpants in the new year. Bonnie will remain President, with full oversight of development and production for the feature animation group.
As we are all fortunate to know firsthand, Mireille is an incredibly passionate and talented filmmaker who has contributed to the DreamWorks Animation legacy. She has shepherded a successful slate of films during her tenure at the studio, including the Madagascar franchise, of which she will continue to be involved as a producer.
I want to personally thank both Mireille and Bonnie for their guidance and stewardship during this time of transition. As we close out 2016, we are energized for the New Year and looking forward to accomplishing great things together in 2017.
Donna
Below are links to some of the other recent shake-ups that have happened at Dreamworks since Comcast-NBCUniversal bought the company earlier this year for $3.8 billion. The less-reported but equally important story is about how many of the studio’s key talents, like Rodolphe Guenoden, have left recently to pursue opportunities elsewhere. As this transition continues, one thing is clear: the Dreamworks of tomorrow won’t be the Dreamworks of today. And considering how things have gone for the studio in recent years, that may not necessarily be a bad thing.
