Pixar co-founder Ed Katmull joins Baobab Studios –

Ed Katmul, co-founder of Pixar and former chairman of Walt Disney Animation Studios, has joined the board of directors of Baobab Studios, the company said Tuesday.

Ketmul will join Kevin Lynn, co-founder of Twitch, and Glenn Ents, former director of visual arts and technology at Electronic Arts and co-founder of PDI, on the board of directors.

“I am honored to join the Board of Directors of Baobab Studios and be a part of their creative journey,” Catmull said in a statement. “Baobab is at the forefront of incredible storytelling through media, and I look forward to supporting the entire team as the company becomes the preeminent animation studio of the future.”

An industry veteran with more than five decades of experience, Catmull has overseen major animation works such as Toy Story, Finding Nemo, Frozen s The Incredibles 2. The executive began his career at Lucasfilm before co-founding Pixar in 1986 with Steve Jobs and John Lasseter. In 2006, after Disney bought Pixar for $7.4 billion, Chicken was named president of Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studio. Chicken retired in 2018, but remained a consultant to animation studios Pixar and Disney until the summer of 2019.

Baobab, which won a nine-day Emmy for similar shorts Baba Yaga s crow: legend, founded by Maureen Fan, Eric Darnell and Larry Cutler. Upcoming projects include collaboration with Disney Branded Television for the Disney+ series Witchcraft.

“I have followed Eddie’s work for years and am proud to welcome him to our board of directors,” said Fan, CEO of Baobab Studios. “Eddie’s leadership and innovative genius are unparalleled in the world of animation, and his vision will be invaluable as we introduce new characters and worlds, as well as play an active role for our audience within them.”