Phil Johnston is a Disney screenwriter, producer, and director best known for his work on Zootopia, Wreck-It Ralph, and the upcoming Wreck-It Ralph 2.
In this episode, I talk to Phil about the years before he worked on such animated hits, and he explains the process of starting with one character and ending up with a feature film. He also tells us how it feels to have worked on a project that made over ONE BILLION dollars, as well as how he compartmentalizes having a children's movie and an R-rated comedy release in the same month.
Here's a fun interview with Johnston and his co-director Rich Moore and actor John C. Reilly about the announcement of Wreck-It Ralph 2. Here is Rolling Stone's review of Zootopia, which debuted earlier this year.
Books that made a great impact on Phil Johnston: A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy O'Toole and Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut, and lately anything by George Saunders.
*
Remember to follow SPITR on Facebook or sign up for our email newsletter that gives more information on each episode.