After relaunching its feature division last week, Warner Bros. Pictures Animation (WBPA) has named Shane Prigmore as its senior creative advisor. He’s also been tapped to direct a film for the unit.

Prigmore is a veteran artist-turned-executive with an impressive track record. He has put in stints at Skydance Animation, Walt Disney Television Animation, Dreamworks Animation, and Laika. He began his career at Warner Bros. in the late 1990s, working on the classic film The Iron Giant.

Here are the details of Prigmore’s appointment:

  • In his new role, Prigmore will advise on creative development for WBPA’s production slate, working out of the studio’s Burbank headquarters and reporting directly to Warner Bros. Pictures Animation president Bill Damaschke, a fellow Dreamworks and Skydance alumn.
  • At Skydance, Prigmore served as senior VP of development and worked on the company’s slate of upcoming features. While serving as vp of creative at Walt Disney Television Animation, he was involved in the development of several breakout series including DuckTales, Amphibia, The Owl House, Monsters at Work, and Marvel’s Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur.
  • As an animator and designer, he received two Annie Awards for his work on Laika’s Coraline and Dreamworks’ The Croods. Other high-profile films on his resume include How to Train Your Dragon, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The Boxtrolls, and The Lego Movie. His animated series work includes The Proud Family, Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends, and Tangled: The Series.
Coraline Artwork
Lithograph showing 26 different emotions of Coraline. Inked heads by Dan Krall, penciled heads by Mike Cachuela. Color head by Shane Prigmore.
  • Said Damaschke in a release: “Shane is a trusted colleague and respected creator and executive in animation. As we build a studio for and led by filmmakers, we are thrilled to welcome him home to WBPA to help lead us into this next chapter.”
  • Prigmore added: “I’m thrilled and honored to be joining the talented team at Warner Bros Pictures Animation as we work to build and define the next, great chapter of this Studio’s creative future. I am proud and especially fond of my past artistic collaborations with Bill, as well as my time at Warner Bros. at the start of my career. I could not be more excited to be collaborating with both once again.”