Bill Damaschke

Bill Damaschke is an American film executive and producer who currently serves as the president of Warner Bros. Pictures Animation. In conjunction with the company’s feature film and television division, he curates and oversees a team dedicated to producing a bold and original slate of both animated and hybrid family programming. Previously, he spent 20 years at DreamWorks Animation, most recently as Chief Creative Officer, where he was involved in the creative, artistic, and operational direction of the company. His tenure oversaw the release of some of the company’s big franchise films, including Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda, How to Train Your Dragon, and The Croods. He also oversaw all of DreamWorks Animation’s live theatrical productions, including the award-winning Shrek The Musical. Bill’s other current projects as a producer are the Broadway-bound musical Half Time, directed and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell, which will be presented at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Spring of 2018, and the stage adaptation of Moulin Rouge, directed by Alex Timers, on which Bill serves as Executive Producer. He was also formerly the president of Skydance Animation.
== Early life ==
Damaschke is the oldest of seven children, and grew up in Chicago.[2] He attended St. Bruno Catholic Elementary and Argo Community High School, and graduated at the School of Theatre Arts at Illinois Wesleyan University.[2]
== Professional career ==
Initially, Damaschke pursued a career in musical theater, working on Godspell in New York, but soon ended up in Los Angeles as a production assistant on Disney's Pocahontas in 1994.[2] In 1995, he joined DreamWorks Studios as a production assistant on The Prince of Egypt.[1][2] He then moved on to become head of creative production in 1999 and head of creative production and development in 2005.[3] Damaschke served as a producer of Shark Tale (nominated for Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2004) and an executive producer of Over the Hedge and Kung Fu Panda. In 2011, he became chief creative officer (CCO) of DreamWorks Animation,[3] running "the factory floor, working with directors, writers and artists," and "calling the creative shots."[2] He was also president of DreamWorks Live Theatricals,[4] and produced Tony Award-winning,[5] but financially unremarkable,[2] Shrek the Musical.[6] In 2013, The New York Times called him as "one of the film industry's most important executives."[2] In January 2015, Damaschke stepped down from his position as Chief Creative Officer at DreamWorks to pursue other interests including: theatrical productions; animated television, movies, web series, and live action films. In October 2017, he became the president of Animation and Family Entertainment for Skydance Media. He would also continue operating his StoryKey Entertainment theatrical production company.[7] On February 9, 2023, Warner Animation Group was reported to be in talks with him to lead after the departure of Allison Abbate.[8] On May 5, 2023, it was confirmed in a Warner Bros. Discoveryearnings call by CEO David Zaslav that Damaschke had been hired, and was hard at work with Warner Bros. Pictures Group co-CEOs Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy on developing a new slate of films.[9]
== Personal life ==
Damaschke lives with John McIlwee, a top Hollywood business manager, in Hollywood Hills, in a 1962 house designed by John Lautner, which they bought in 2002 for $1.3 million and renovated for an additional $1 million.[8]
== Filmography ==
=== Producer ===
Year 	Title 	Role
1995 	Pocahonras 	production office assistant
1998 	The Prince of Egypt 	production manager
2000 	The Road to El Dorado	co-executive producer
2004 	Shark Tale 	producer
2006 	Over the Hedge 	executive producer
2008 	Kung Fu Panda 	executive producer
2008–present	Shrek the Musical 	producer
===Special Thanks===
Year	Title 	Role
2002	Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron 	special thanks
2003	Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas 	special thanks
2004	Shrek 2 	special thanks
2005	Madagascar 	special thanks
2005	Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit	special thanks
2006	Flushed Away 	special thanks
2007	Shrek the Third 	special thanks
2007	Bee Movie 	special thanks
2016	Kung Fu Panda 3 	special thanks
2016	Trolls 	special thanks
2017	The Boss Baby 	special thanks
Category:Presidents