10 Directors Who Quit Movies During Filming
6. John Lasseter - Toy Story 4
Toy Story 4 was officially announced in November 2014, with then-head of Pixar John Lasseter - who previously helmed the first two films - set to return to direct.
While animated movies aren't filmed in the traditional way that a live-action movie is, Lasseter nevertheless announced in July 2017 - mid-way through the movie's production - that he was stepping back and giving sole directorial duties to first-time filmmaker Josh Cooley.
Lasseter claimed that he was quitting as director due to his combined duties at Pixar, Walt Disney Animation Studios, and Disneytoon Studios, though given that numerous sexual misconduct allegations were levelled against him mere months later, many have suspected that he may have known the accusations were coming and made an early exit in an attempt to save face.
The very month that the allegations against Lasseter were made public and he started a six-month absence from Pixar, Toy Story 4's original writers Rashida Jones and Will McCormack also withdrew from the film citing "philosophical differences," with most of their material being rewritten.
Despite the major personnel changes, Toy Story 4 was a major critical and commercial success, with Cooley winning the Oscar for Best Animated Feature in 2020.