Disney legend Andrew Gunn dies at 58 after ALS battle

Prolific auteur of Disney hits such as Freaky Friday, Cruella and The Haunted Mansion, Andrew Gunn has passed on at 58. 

On Monday, March 3, he passed away peacefully in his Toronto home, surrounded by family, after having fought ALS since 2024.

The producer moulded millions of childhoods with favourite movies such as Sky High and last year's Freakier Friday, which brought Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan back together.

Gunn was pleased to do the film not only to experience nostalgia, but also because his children, Isabelle and Connor, had to work on it with him.

"The best part was my daughter worked in the camera department and my son worked in props."

He went on to explain, "So I got to see them every day," he recently told THR, adding, "I can't express what that meant to me."

Outside his movies, Gunn has left a legacy in the Disney Writers Program that he established in 2001.

This nurtured the talent of Elf and Father of the Bride. Movie author Blaise Hemingway recalled him as "the godfather to more writers, producers, directors, and executives than I can count."

Erin Westerman, Lionsgate President, described him as a born storyteller and "the softest, gooiest man on the inside."

Notably, the veteran star is survived by his two children and an industry that will always be marked by his generosity.