There’s been a change of leadership at Locksmith Animation, the young London studio behind the upcoming feature Ron’s Gone Wrong. Natalie Fischer, former COO of Illumination Entertainment, has joined as CEO.
Sarah Smith, one of the studio’s co-founders, has stepped down in order to focus on her own projects. She co-directed and co-wrote Ron’s Gone Wrong. Julie Lockhart, another Locksmith co-founder and the producer of Ron’s Gone Wrong, has been named the studio’s president of production. The announcements were made by Elisabeth Murdoch, Locksmith chair and co-founder (and daughter of Rupert).
Fischer was with Illumination from its infancy, playing a key role in its launch in 2007. She joined in 2009 as head of business development, and since 2017 she has been a senior advisor to the company. She previously held roles at Universal and the U.K.’s Channel 4.