Emma decided to step down from the film (Picture: Getty Images)

Emma Thompson’s letter to Skydance confirming her decision to pull out of upcoming animation Luck has been released, revealing that she posed five questions to the production company over John Lasseter’s hiring.

Lasseter was hired following his exit from Disney company Pixar after claims that he had sexually harassed female co-workers.

He was then hired by Skydance on 9 January setting to work on two already announced titles, Luck and Split, but although Emma had already begun work on the film, it has been revealed that she immediately began discussions about her exit from the production and on 20 January made the decision to leave.

John was on leave from Pixar and then hired at Skydance (Picture: Getty Images)

‘It feels very odd to me that you and your company would consider hiring someone with Mr. Lasseter’s pattern of misconduct given the present climate in which people with the kind of power that you have can reasonably be expected to step up to the plate,’ she wrote.




After his hiring, Skydance Media Chief Executive David Ellison sent an email to staff reminding them that Lasseter was ‘contractually obligated to behave professionally’ and Lasseter held meetings with staff in which he asked for a chance to prove himself to his new staff.

In the letter, published by the LA Times, Emma asked how women were supposed to feel knowing that his behaviour was forced only by a contract and that any respect offered them was ‘an act’, and how much money the women at the company were receiving to give him his second chance when ‘he is presumably being paid millions of dollars to receive that second chance’.

She also questioned why Skydance employees were not given a chance to offer their opinion on his hiring before the contract was signed – and after Skydance revealed no settlements were ever made by Lasseter or his accusers if women were ‘supposed to feel comforted that women who feel that their careers were derailed by working for Lasseter DIDN’T receive money’.

She concluded: ‘I am well aware that centuries of entitlement to women’s bodies whether they like it or not is not going to change overnight. Or in a year.

‘But I am also aware that if people who have spoken out — like me — do not take this sort of a stand then things are very unlikely to change at anything like the pace required to protect my daughter’s generation.’

John (centre) with Woody and Buzz from Toy Story (Picture: Getty Images)

Lasseter had been on leave from Pixar since November 2017 after allegations of sexual harassment were made against him.

A number of female employees claimed that he had a reputation for touching women inappropriately in the office, including rubbing their legs and kissing them on the lips.

The 62-year-old later admitted he had ‘crossed a line’ and he was reprimanded for kissing a subordinate at an Oscar party in 2010, according to Variety.

Emma Thompson's letter in full As you know, I have pulled out of the production of “Luck” — to be directed by the very wonderful Alessandro Carloni. It feels very odd to me that you and your company would consider hiring someone with Mr. Lasseter’s pattern of misconduct given the present climate in which people with the kind of power that you have can reasonably be expected to step up to the plate. I realise that the situation — involving as it does many human beings — is complicated. However these are the questions I would like to ask: If a man has been touching women inappropriately for decades, why would a woman want to work for him if the only reason he’s not touching them inappropriately now is that it says in his contract that he must behave “professionally”? If a man has made women at his companies feel undervalued and disrespected for decades, why should the women at his new company think that any respect he shows them is anything other than an act that he’s required to perform by his coach, his therapist and his employment agreement? The message seems to be, “I am learning to feel respect for women so please be patient while I work on it. It’s not easy.” Much has been said about giving John Lasseter a “second chance.” But he is presumably being paid millions of dollars to receive that second chance. How much money are the employees at Skydance being paid to GIVE him that second chance? If John Lasseter started his own company, then every employee would have been given the opportunity to choose whether or not to give him a second chance. But any Skydance employees who don’t want to give him a second chance have to stay and be uncomfortable or lose their jobs. Shouldn’t it be John Lasseter who has to lose HIS job if the employees don’t want to give him a second chance? Skydance has revealed that no women received settlements from Pixar or Disney as a result of being harassed by John Lasseter. But given all the abuse that’s been heaped on women who have come forward to make accusations against powerful men, do we really think that no settlements means that there was no harassment or no hostile work environment? Are we supposed to feel comforted that women who feel that their careers were derailed by working for Lasseter DIDN’T receive money? I hope these queries make the level of my discomfort understandable. I regret having to step away because I love Alessandro so much and think he is an incredibly creative director. But I can only do what feels right during these difficult times of transition and collective consciousness raising. I am well aware that centuries of entitlement to women’s bodies whether they like it or not is not going to change overnight. Or in a year. But I am also aware that if people who have spoken out — like me — do not take this sort of a stand then things are very unlikely to change at anything like the pace required to protect my daughter’s generation. Yours most sincerely,

Emma Thompson

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