Lego Movie 2 animator Emily Dean to make directorial debut with Sony’s Tao

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

Over the past few years, animator Emily Dean has built a fine resume for herself after working on both THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE and THE LEGO MOVIE 2: THE SECOND PART for Warner Bros. Each of the aforementioned projects has served as a testament to what VFX studios are capable of achieving when given the most contemporary tools to work with, and now Deadline is hearing that Sony Pictures Animation wants Dean for TAO, the studio's upcoming animated project written by DAREDEVIL and ARROW story editor Tonya Kong.

Described as a female-driven sci fi adventure story that is set in China, TAO will serve as Dean's feature directorial debut. Not too shabby for someone who began her career in Pixar's story department and then worked her way up the ladder, eh? In addition to being a Story Artist for films like THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE, THE LEGO MOVE 2: THE SECOND PART, and THE LEGO PIRATE MOVIE, Dean was also awarded an Australian Academy Award for her 2012 animated short film FORGET ME NOT.

While the plot for TAO is still being kept under wraps, my mind is already spinning at the thought of Dean playing in a locale as majestic and mystical as China. Here's hoping that her years of dedication to art of animationwill result in a visual and emotional powerhouse of an animated film for Sony when the secretive project makes its way to theaters.