John Lasseter and Skydance Animation: What’s Next for the Rising Animation Company?

Following the success of Luck and Blush, John Lasseter and Skydance Animation are collaborating to produce a new movie. Entitled Spellbound, the film tells the tale of a princess named Elian, who uses magical powers to protect her family and stop her kingdom from being divided by light and darkness. These forces can work against each other to cause problems for everyone who lives in the kingdom, and Elian needs to be sure she can keep her subjects and family members safe from harm.

Rachel Zegler is voicing Elian in the movie and was reportedly handpicked by John Lasseter and his team due to her valuable skills and recent successes in other productions, such as the musical West Side Story. Spellbound is also a musical, which makes it a great fit for Zegler and all she brings to the table. The movie is currently in production, which should be wrapping up soon. The film is directed by Vicky Jenson, under the leadership of Lasseter, who is also among the co-producers.

Javier Bardem and Nicole Kidman are also lending their voices to the movie, as are John Lithgow, Jenifer Lewis, and Nathan Lane. This star-studded cast is drumming up a lot of interest in the new movie as more people become interested in what Skydance and Lasseter are creating. Apple TV knows that it needs more kid-friendly films to compete with other streaming services on the market, and working with Skydance Animation can benefit both parties for movie creation in the future.

Paramount was originally going to be releasing Spellbound, as well as Skydance Animation’s previous film, Luck. However, a deal was made with Apple TV, which has led to releases of movies that have performed as well as or better than expected based on Apple viewership. While Luck was a full-length feature film that did very well with Apple TV viewers, Blush was a short film produced at the start of the Apple-Skydance partnership.

The plot was based around a horticulturist and astronaut who becomes stranded on a desolate planet. As he struggles to survive, he meets an ethereal visitor. He builds a new life in his new location and recognizes the amazing salvation opportunities provided by the universe. Blush did very well with viewers who wanted to see more of what Skydance would do. With the hiring of John Lasseter, the company created Luck and increased public interest in the quality of the films it was producing.

Luck followed the story of Sam, who aged out of the foster care system and was sent out into the world on her own at just 18. She is believed to be the unluckiest person ever and meets a magical cat named Bob. When he accidentally leaves his lucky penny behind, she follows him to the Land of Luck, where she finds out that good and bad luck are manufactured and sent out into the lives of humans. In the end, Sam learns that luck is what you make of it.

John Lasseter has had a long career in the movie-making business, working on such hits as Toy Story and Cars during his time with Disney and Pixar. He left there in 2018 and was quickly hired by Skydance to produce the high-quality animated movies he was becoming widely known for during that time. Now he brings his creative talents to Skydance Animation, which has already seen a lot of success from Luck and Blush.