‘Freaky Friday’ and ‘Sky High’ Producer Andrew Gunn Has Passed Away at 58
Andrew Gunn, the famed Hollywood producer who oversaw a series of Disney comedies in the early 2000s, has passed away at the age of 58 after a battle with ALS.
Born in Toronto in 1967, Gunn attended the University of Western Ontario before moving to Los Angeles and earning a Master’s degree in Communication Management at USC.
Photo: The Hollywood Reporter
Gunn first rose to prominence in the late 1990s, when he was in charge of development at John Hughes’ Great Oaks Entertainment. In this role, he helped shepherd several Disney films, including 101 Dalmatians, 102 Dalmatians, and Robin Williams’ Flubber remake.
Photo: Disney Plus
In 2001, the producer launched Gunn Films, which became known for its family-friendly comedies.
Partnering With Disney and ‘Freaky Friday’
After signing a first-look deal with Disney, the first project Gunn pitched was a remake of Freaky Friday. While studio president Dina Jacobson was initially hesitant about the idea, as a remake had previously aired on ABC, Gunn eventually won her over.
Photo: The Hollywood Reporter
When the original plans, which called for Annette Bening, Michelle Trachtenberg, and Tom Selleck to star in the film, fell through, Gunn pivoted to Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan.
Photo: Disney
“We made movies with genuine creative exuberance at that time and Andrew never had any shortage of that,” recalled Jacobson to The Hollywood Reporter. “On Freaky Friday, we were able to make a decision on a creative instinct and not by asking an algorithm on who to cast.”
Family Comedies of the Early 2000s
In addition to Freaky Friday, Gunn produced The Country Bears, The Haunted Mansion, College Road Trip, Bedtime Stories, Sky High, Race to Witch Mountain, and Escape to Witch Mountain for Disney.
Photo: Disney+
He also served as an executive producer on the Disney Channel Original Movie Minutemen.
Later Disney Career and Outside Work
Outside of his production work, Gunn established the Disney Writers Program, where he worked with five unproduced screenwriters annually.
Photo: Yahoo News
Among those who saw their careers launched by the program were David Berenbaum, Matt Lopez, and David DiGilio.
As Disney shifted its focus to franchise films in the 2010s, Gunn increasingly worked elsewhere. He did, however, produce 2021’s Cruella and 2025’s Freakier Friday.
Photo: Disney
Outside of Disney, Gunn continued to produce family-friendly content. Among his other productions were Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, Playing with Fire, and Secret Headquarters.
Photo: IMDB
Gunn is survived by his children, his wife Jane Bellamy Gunn, mother Anne Gunn, and siblings Hilary Knight, Graeme Gunn, and Cameron Gunn. He was predeceased by his father, Charles Gunn.
