While DreamWorks is set to launch its Chinese venture in Shanghai and to collaborate with South Korean animation studios, John Lasseter says Disney-Pixar has no immediate plans for localized projects in Asia.
"At this point in time, Pixar and Walt Disney Animation, we have artists from all over the world working for us. We are working on handcrafted films at our in-house studios," Lasseter told Korean reporters on Tuesday in Seoul, where he kicked off the company's Asia tour.
About the growth of other animation firms, he said he welcomes a healthy competition. "I'd rather be a player in a healthy industry rather than a single player in a dead industry."
The chief of the animation giant added, however, that both studios are always seeking inspiration "all over the world, for wonderful legends and stories."
The reason for kicking off the tour in Korea, he said, is due to the incredible success of "Frozen" in Korea, which made the Asian country the largest market for the film outside of the U.S. Grossing over $77 million according to the Korean Film Council's KOBIS data.
"What happened in this country with the movie Frozen is very special. Frozen healed the Walt Disney Animation Studio and made the studio so strong. And the way Korea loved the movie so much meant so much for us," said the executive. "The reason why we chose to start here in Seoul, Korea, for our big Asian tour is to say thank you."
He presented the highlights of Disney-Pixar's 2015-2016 lineup, including Big Hero 6. The film had made headlines in Korea for featuring the voice of Daniel Henney, one of the biggest local stars.
"We were very happy to have Daniel Henney do the voice of Teddy. He was fantastic to work with. It's important to get great actors," said Lasseter.
The executive continues his tour across mainland China, Hong Kong and Japan to promote Disney's "Zootopia," "Moana," and "Giants," and Pixar's "Inside Out," "The Good Dinosaur," and "Finding Dory."
The executive said that Disney-Pixar will continue to be a strong, filmmaker-driven studio that produces "stories from the heart" while also showcasing groundbreaking technology that combines the ideals of both 2D and 3D animated visuals.
