Rotoscopers
  • News
  • Podcasts
    • Animation Addicts Podcast
    • Every Episode Ever
  • Reviews
    • Animated Movies
    • Art Books
    • Blu-ray/DVD
    • Live Action
  • Interviews
  • Opinions
  • Studios
    • Aardman
    • Blue Sky Studios
    • Disney
    • Don Bluth
    • DreamWorks
    • Fox Animation Studios
    • Illumination Entertainment
    • LAIKA
    • Lucasfilm Animation
    • Paramount Animation
    • Pixar
    • Sony Pictures Animation
    • Reel FX
    • Studio Ghibli
    • Warner Animation
  • Animation Calendar
No Result
View All Result
Rotoscopers
  • News
  • Podcasts
    • Animation Addicts Podcast
    • Every Episode Ever
  • Reviews
    • Animated Movies
    • Art Books
    • Blu-ray/DVD
    • Live Action
  • Interviews
  • Opinions
  • Studios
    • Aardman
    • Blue Sky Studios
    • Disney
    • Don Bluth
    • DreamWorks
    • Fox Animation Studios
    • Illumination Entertainment
    • LAIKA
    • Lucasfilm Animation
    • Paramount Animation
    • Pixar
    • Sony Pictures Animation
    • Reel FX
    • Studio Ghibli
    • Warner Animation
  • Animation Calendar
No Result
View All Result
Rotoscopers
No Result
View All Result
Home Studios Sony Pictures Animation

Michelle Raimo Kouyate Steps Down at Sony Pictures Animation, Joins ‘Medusa’ as Producer

Brandon Smith by Brandon Smith
January 30, 2015
in Sony Pictures Animation, Studios, The Latest Animation News
3 min read
0
Sony_Pictures_Animation_logo

Sony_Pictures_Animation_logo

DreamWorks Animation isn’t the only company to have some major managerial shakeups.

Deadline recently reported that Michelle Raimo Kouyate has stepped down as President of Production at Sony Pictures Animation.

During her four years in this position, she oversaw development and production on a number of films, including Hotel Transylvania, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2, and the two live-action/CG hybrid Smurfs films.

However, despite stepping down she will still remain at Sony Pictures Animation, albeit under a different capacity.

According to an article by Animation News Network (and stemming from a report by The Hollywood Reporter), Kouyate will be transitioning to a first-look producing deal with the studio. The deal will encompass both animation and live-action projects at Sony.

It’s also been revealed that as part of her deal, she has stepped on board as a producer for the Lauren Faust-directed upcoming animated film Medusa.

Interestingly enough, Kouyate cited Medusa as a catalyst for why she was stepping down: “I’ve been thinking about it for a while and when I was working on Medusa, it started to bring up the feelings of really being back in the game,” Kouyate told The Hollywood Reporter. “And there comes a time on an animated project when you just need to get a producer on it, when it hits a stage where it’s story boarding and moving to the next level. So I thought if there was ever a time to do it, now was it.”

She then praises Sony Animation and expresses her excitement for the future: “Sony Pictures Animation is an incredible place with talented artists and creative people. I am totally confident that great things will continue to come out of it and I’m so excited that I will be a part of it.”

Lauren Faust also commented on Kouyate’s newfound role as the sole producer for the project, stating: “One of the main reasons why I was attracted to Medusa was the opportunity to work with Michelle. She’s the one who brought this project to me and her passion for it, her love of story telling and her regard for artists is what brought me to Sony. I couldn’t be more thrilled to have her formally come on board as the producer on Medusa as I could not think of a better person for this role.”

Another reason (more a rumor) as to why Kouyate stepped down was supposedly due to an email that was leaked during the recent Sony hacking scandal.  This rumored email revealed that directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller were approached with the preposition of handing the animation division with a ‘brain trust’ set up similar to those of Pixar and Warner Animation Group (this story will be covered in further detail in a future What You Missed article).

Prior to joining Sony Animation in 2010, Kouyate previously held production and development roles at DreamWorks Animation and was the executive producer of Puss in Boots.

She has also overseen the transition of a new head of production for Sony Animation. Stay tuned for news on who that person is.

What do you think? Are her reasons for stepping down justified?

Edited by: Hannah Wilkes

Tags: medusa
Previous Post

Animation Addicts 86: Once Upon a Forest – How Alvin and the Chipmunks Save the Forest

Next Post

‘Frozen’ Becomes the Best-Selling Blu-ray in the U.S.

Brandon Smith

Brandon Smith

Brandon is your average nerd with a love for nerdy things (games, comics, anime/manga, etc.). He also loves reading and writing and plans to be an author someday. For now, he writes with passion and curiosity about the world of animation. He lives with his family in North Carolina and is currently attending college.

Next Post
‘Frozen’ Becomes the Best-Selling Blu-ray in the U.S.

'Frozen' Becomes the Best-Selling Blu-ray in the U.S.

Popular Posts

  • Animation Addicts Podcast #282: 2022 in Review 142 views
  • Animation Addicts Podcast #283: Puss In Boots: The Last Wish – Ethical Bug 61 views
Rotoscopers

© 2019 Rotoscopers

Important Links

  • About
  • Support
  • Contact
  • Store
  • Privacy Policy
  • User Posts

Follow Us

Social icon element need JNews Essential plugin to be activated.
No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Podcasts
    • Animation Addicts Podcast
    • Every Episode Ever
  • Reviews
    • Animated Movies
    • Art Books
    • Blu-ray/DVD
    • Live Action
  • Interviews
  • Opinions
  • Studios
    • Aardman
    • Blue Sky Studios
    • Disney
    • Don Bluth
    • DreamWorks
    • Fox Animation Studios
    • Illumination Entertainment
    • LAIKA
    • Lucasfilm Animation
    • Paramount Animation
    • Pixar
    • Sony Pictures Animation
    • Reel FX
    • Studio Ghibli
    • Warner Animation
  • Animation Calendar

© 2019 Rotoscopers