WILL FINN (Director/Screenwriter) makes his feature film directing debut on this film following a 25-year career as one of the industry’s top animators and story men. As a supervising animator at Disney, he helped to give life to such memorable characters as Cogsworth the clock in “Beauty and the Beast,” Iago the molting parrot in “Aladdin,” and the gargoyle Laverne in “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.”
Finn initially joined Walt Disney Feature Animation in April of 1979 as an animation trainee on “The Fox and the Hound.” Following that role, he left to serve as an animator and story artist for the Don Bluth production, “The Secret of Nimh,” as well as an animator and voice actor for “Space Ace” and “Dragon’s Lair,” animated arcade games for Don Bluth. Finn returned to Walt Disney Feature Animation in 1986 as an animator on “Oliver & Company.” He recalls seeing highlights on TV of the Disney film, “The Jungle Book,” as a child and being enthralled by the buoyant, freewheeling animal characters. He had always loved to draw and had dreams of being a cartoonist but from that moment on he set his sites on animating for Disney.
Following “Oliver & Company,” Finn continued to serve as an animator for “The Little Mermaid,” “The Rescuers Down Under,” and “Beauty and the Beast,” where he was awarded his first character lead role with the endearingly anxious clock, Cogsworth. His next character was the irreverent parrot, Iago, in “Aladdin.” Finn then turned his attention to story and joined the story department of “Pocahontas.” His success as a story artist lead to his next role as head of the story department for “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.” Finn held dual roles on “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” as he also served as supervising animator for the gargoyle character, Laverne.
Born in Geneva, New York, Finn received an associate’s degree from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh in 1978. This is where he met animation legend Eric Larson, who mentored him into the Disney Animation training program in 1979.
Finn currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife, Lydia and their son Thomas.
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