‘It’s a Fantastic Time for Animation’: UTA Partner Jason Burns Praises Original Ideas, Animation Directors Ahead of Annecy Film Festival 

Jun 19, 2026 9:14am PT ‘It’s a Fantastic Time for Animation’: UTA Partner Jason Burns Praises Original Ideas, Animation Directors Ahead of Annecy Film Festival 

The veteran agent represents Phil Lord & Chris Miller ('Project Hail Mary,' 'Spider-Verse' franchise), Matthew Fogel ('The Super Mario Galaxy Movie'), Chris McKay ('The Lego Batman Movie')

By Kevin Giraud

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Kevin Giraud

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Jason Burns, UTA partner and co-head of MP Lit. Courtesy of UTA

In 2025, animation features ruled the box-office, from long-awaited sequels (“Zootopia 2”) to original streaming megahits (“KPop Demon Hunters“). Behind the scenes, the success of these seasoned directors and newfound talents reveals an ongoing audience appetite for bold artistic choices, compelling narratives and, most importantly, the animated medium. 

Empowering these creators is the daily job of United Talent Agency (UTA) teams. The only major talent agency with a dedicated animation division, UTA has the largest and most robust roster of animation clients, including Academy Award winners Brad Bird (“The Incredibles”, “Ray Gunn”), Maggie Kang (“KPop Demon Hunters”), Andrew Stanton (“Finding Nemo”, “Zootopia 2”) and many more. 

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