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Andrew Gunn, Producer Behind Disney Hits ‘Freaky Friday,’ ‘Sky High,’ Dies at 58
| USA | culture | ✓ Verified - hollywoodreporter.com

Andrew Gunn, Producer Behind Disney Hits ‘Freaky Friday,’ ‘Sky High,’ Dies at 58

#Andrew Gunn #Disney producer #ALS #Freaky Friday #Sky High #Hollywood death #Disney legacy #producer tribute

📌 Key Takeaways

  • Andrew Gunn, producer of Disney hits, died at 58 after ALS diagnosis
  • He created beloved Disney films including 'Freaky Friday' and 'Sky High'
  • Gunn mentored many industry talents and established Disney Writers Program
  • He worked with his children on the recent 'Freakier Friday' sequel

📖 Full Retelling

Andrew Gunn, the producer behind Disney hits including 'Freaky Friday' and 'Sky High,' has died at age 58 in his Toronto home after being diagnosed with ALS, the neurological disorder also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. The announcement was made by his family on Monday, following his 2024 diagnosis with the degenerative condition. Gunn had an exclusive first-look deal with Disney during the era when Dick Cook chaired the studio and Nina Jacobson ran motion pictures, producing an enviable list of big-budget comedies and family films. His career spanned remakes, original stories, and movies based on Disneyland attractions, becoming one of Disney's most prolific producers during the early 2000s. Gunn's legacy extends beyond his filmography, as he was instrumental in launching the careers of numerous actors, writers, and industry professionals through mentorship programs and collaborative projects that emphasized creative instinct over algorithmic decision-making.

🏷️ Themes

Film Industry, Disney Legacy, Personal Tributes, Career Achievement

📚 Related People & Topics

ALS

ALS

Rare neurodegenerative disease

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND) or Lou Gehrig's disease, is a rare, terminal neurodegenerative disease defined by the progressive loss of both upper and lower motor neurons that normally control voluntary muscle contraction. ALS is the most common of the...

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Andrew Gunn

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Freaky Friday

Comedic children's novel (1972)

Freaky Friday is a comedic children's novel written by Mary Rodgers, first published by Harper & Row in 1972. The plot is set in a day in the life of 13-year-old Annabel Andrews and her mother, who spend one Friday in each other's bodies. The novel has been adapted for several films, all by the Walt...

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Sky High

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Entity Intersection Graph

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🌐 Euphoria 6 shared
👤 Mark Sloan 2 shared
👤 Katherine Heigl 2 shared
🌐 Cause of death 2 shared
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ALS

ALS

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Andrew Gunn

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Freaky Friday

Comedic children's novel (1972)

Sky High

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Original Source
Share on Facebook Share on X Google Preferred Share to Flipboard Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Send an Email Print the Article Post a Comment Andrew Gunn, who produced a string of Disney comedies in the early 2000s, among them the Lindsay Lohan-starring Freaky Friday and superhero movie Sky High , has died. He was 58. Gunn, who had been diagnosed in 2024 with ALS, the neurological degenerative disorder also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, passed away in his home in Toronto, his family announced Monday. As a producer with an exclusive first look-deal with Disney in the era when it was run by chairman Dick Cook and motion pictures president Nina Jacobson, Gunn prolifically produced an enviable list of big budget studio comedies, ranging from remakes, originals and movies based on Disneyland rides, the latter a popular source of inspiration at the time. Related Stories General News Lindsay Lohan Looks Back on Troubled Teen Years: "Why Didn't Anyone Protect Me More?" Movies Molly Ringwald Says John Hughes' "Didn't Want" His Films to Be Remade Freaky Friday got made after Gunn pitched the idea to then studio head Jacobson, who was initially worried about taking on a theatrical remake after a previous remake aired on ABC several years earlier. Once the go-head was given, Annette Bening, Michelle Trachtenberg and Tom Selleck were cast but that configuration fell apart when Trachtenberg wasn’t let out of her work schedule for Buffy the Vampire Slayer . The studio and Gunn scrambled to find leads, casting Jamie Lee Curtis and then landing on Lindsay Lohan, whose initial audition didn’t wow but who rose to the top over actresses such as Kristen Stewart, Kristen Bell, Brie Larson, and Shiri Appleby, thanks to a chemistry read. “We made movies with genuine creative exuberance at that time and Andrew never had any shortage of that,” recalled Jacobson. “On Freaky Friday , we were able to make a...
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