Barry Cook

Cook was born in Nashville, Tennessee on August 12, 1958. He made his first film when he was ten years old.{{cite news | last=Heater | first=Heidi | url=http://www.asbury.edu/news-events/news/2008-01-mulan-director-speak-asbury | title='Mulan' director to speak at Asbury | work=asbury.edu | publisher=Asbury University | date=January 23, 2008 | accessdate=December 13, 2013 }} Cook interned as an assistant animator beginning in December 1978 at the animation studio Hanna-Barbera, where he contributed as an assistant animator on "The New Fred and Barney Show" and many others. He also contributed to the pilot episode of the 1981 TV series The Smurfs.{{cite news | last=Zahed | first=Ramin | url=http://www.animationmagazine.net/features/pachyrhinos-stirring-saga/ | title=Pachyrhinos' Stirring Saga | work=Animation Magazine | date=December 15, 2013 | accessdate=December 16, 2013 }} In 1981, Disney hired Cook as an effects animator for Tron (1982). Cook subsequently animated or supervised effects for various films including The Little Mermaid (1989), Beauty and the Beast (1991), and Aladdin (1992). He became the supervisor for the special-effects animation department at Disney. In 1992, he directed the animated short film Off His Rockers, which was about a child and his rocking horse. Peter Schneider, then president of feature animation, saw potential in Cook's film and supported its production. Off His Rockers drew the attention of director Randal Kleiser, who requested for the short to open his feature film Honey, I Blew Up the Kid in 1992.{{cite news | last=Hinman | first=Catherine | url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1992/07/15/how-the-disney-film-short-off-his-rockers-made-it-to-the-big-screen-a-little-project-that-blew-up/ | title=How The Disney Film Short 'Off His Rockers' Made It To The Big Screen: A Little Project That 'Blew Up' | work=The Orlando Sentinel | date=July 15, 1992 }} In 1993, Cook directed another animated short, Trail Mix-Up, which featured the cartoon character Roger Rabbit.{{cite news | last=Boyar | first=Jay | url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1993/03/19/aladdin-deserves-best-picture-anyway/ | title='Aladdin' Deserves Best Picture Anyway | work=The Orlando Sentinel | date=March 19, 1993 }} His directing experience with Off His Rockers and Trail Mix-Up led him to the opportunity to direct Mulan with Bancroft.{{cite news | last=Abbott | first=Jim | url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1998/06/17/the-making-of-mulan/ | title=The Making Of 'Mulan' | work=The Orlando Sentinel | date=June 17, 1998 }}

Following a five-month sabbatical break after directing Mulan, Cook began developing ideas for his second animated feature, and arrived at an idea he developed years earlier titled The Ghost & His Gift, adapted from Oscar Wilde's The Canterville Ghost.{{cite web|url=http://animatedviews.com/2012/director-barry-cook-remembers-the-peoples-of-walt-disney-feature-animation-florida/| title=Director Barry Cook remembers the Peoples of Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida|last=Armstrong|first=Josh|publisher=Animated Views|date=July 30, 2012|accessdate=July 5, 2015}} In 2000, Cook pitched his idea to Michael Eisner and Thomas Schumacher who agreed the idea showed potential, although Eisner deterred about the simplicity while Schumacher felt the project was "too human" and more appropriate for a live action film.{{cite web|last=Hill|first=Jim|title=Why Walt Disney Feature Animation opted NOT to make "My Peoples"|url=http://jimhillmedia.com/editor_in_chief1/b/jim_hill/archive/2011/02/21/why-walt-disney-feature-animation-opted-not-to-make-quot-my-peoples-quot.aspx | publisher=Jim Hill Media|date=February 21, 2011|accessdate=July 5, 2015}} Following the pitch, Cook began reconstructing the idea, and added seven folk art characters into the story. During another pitch for the revised film, Cook proposed producing the film with 70 percent computer animation and 30 percent traditional animation, in which My Peoples was green-lighted with a budget of $45 million. The project underwent a series of titles such as Angel and Her No Good Sister, Elgin's People, and Once in a Blue Moon before settling on A Few Good Ghosts, and included a voice cast of Dolly Parton, Lily Tomlin, Hal Holbrook, and Charles Durning. On November 14, 2003, David Stainton announced that production on A Few Good Ghosts was halted,{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-nov-15-fi-disney15-story.html|last=Eller|first=Claudia|title=Disney Decides It Doesn't Want 'A Few Good Ghosts'|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=November 15, 2003|access-date=July 5, 2015}} and Disney announced the closure of the Feature Animation Florida studio on January 12, 2004.{{cite news|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2004/01/13/disney-animation-unit-fades-away-in-orlando/|title=Disney Animation Unit Fades Away In Orlando|last=Pack|first=Todd|newspaper=The Orlando Sentinel|date=January 13, 2004|access-date=July 5, 2015}} Following the closure, Cook was not offered a renewed contract with the Burbank-located animation studio, and worked consecutively with IDT Entertainment (now known as Starz Media), Animation Lab, and Laika on a series of undeveloped animation projects.{{cite news|url=http://www.awn.com/news/toon-vets-gobble-animation-labs-wild-bunch-feature|title=Toon Vets Gobble Up Animation Lab's Wild Bunch Feature| last=DeMott|first=Rick|date=September 18, 2007|accessdate=July 5, 2015}}{{cite news|title=Laika Lets Go 65, Nixes Jack and Ben|url=http://www.animationmagazine.net/tv/laika-lets-go-65-nixes-jack-and-ben/|last=Zahed|first=Ramed|work=Animation Magazine|date=December 22, 2008|accessdate=July 5, 2015}}

In February 2009, Cook signed with Aardman Animations, and the following April, he was announced to co-direct Arthur Christmas alongside Sarah Smith.{{cite press release|url=https://variety.com/2009/biz/markets-festivals/aardman-begins-work-on-toon-duo-1118002889/|title=Aardman begins work on toon duo|last=McNary|first=Dave|publisher=Variety|date=April 27, 2009|accessdate=July 5, 2015}} Because Smith previously worked in live-action television, Cook described his involvement as "help[ing] along with the animation, from designing the film and its characters to all of the storyboarding process." In March 2010, Cook signed with Animal Logic to serve as co-director on Walking with Dinosaurs, intrigued with the idea of using computer animation against live-action backgrounds. Inspired by the original BBC documentary series, the movie was conceived as a silent movie with no dialogue,{{cite news | last=Zahed | first=Ramin | url=http://www.animationmagazine.net/features/pachyrhinos-stirring-saga/ | title=Pachyrhinos' Stirring Saga | work=Animation Magazine | date=December 15, 2013 | accessdate=July 5, 2015}} but following the screening of a rough cut, 20th Century Fox executives requested a celebrity voice cast, believing it would connect audiences to the characters.{{cite news|title=T-Wreck: Why Fox's 'Walking With Dinosaurs' Went Extinct|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/walking-dinosaurs-why-foxs-film-670782|last=McClintock|first=Pamela|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=January 15, 2014|accessdate=July 5, 2015}} In 2011, Cook wrote the screenplay for The Jesus Film Project and Studio 4°C's short film, My Last Day.{{cite web |url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2011-04-15/studio-4c-animates-campus-crusade-for-christ-jesus-short |title= Studio 4°C Animates Campus Crusade for Christ's Jesus Short |date=April 15, 2011 |website=Anime News Network |access-date=March 10, 2016}}

In July 2016, it was announced that Cook was in negotiations to direct Mean Margaret for Astro-Nomical Entertainment.{{cite magazine|last=Galuppo|first=Mia|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/astro-nomical-entertainment-launches-developing-915872|title=Astro-Nomical Entertainment Launches, Developing 'Mean Margaret' Movie|magazine=The Hollywood Reporter|date=July 26, 2016|accessdate=September 25, 2018}}

{{Reflist|2}}

• {{IMDb name|0176905|Barry Cook}}
• [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYHTBeFx_BnAYLlBLaqiTyQ Barry Cook on YouTube]
• [https://studiopbj.com Studio PB&J]

{{Barry Cook}}{{Annie Award for Directing in a Feature Production}}{{Authority control}}

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Category:1958 births

Category:Living people

Category:American animated film directors

Category:Animators from Tennessee

Category:Annie Award winners

Category:Film directors from Tennessee

Category:Mass media people from Nashville, Tennessee

Category:Walt Disney Animation Studios people

Category:Aardman Animations people