According to Deadline, Fumi Kitahara, a well-known animation publicist who assisted in leading successful campaigns for DreamWorks, Aardman, Laika, Netflix, and Disney, died on Monday from complications resulting from a rare kind of blood cancer.
At the age of 56, the publicist passed away.
Family members of Fumi Kitahara wrote, “Dear Friends of Fumi,” while relaying the sad news. We regret to inform you that, after a protracted battle with a rare blood malignancy, our beloved Fumi died away this afternoon, February 24. According to Deadline, “she was surrounded by the love of her family and close friends.”
“We know many of you will be as heartbroken as we are in saying goodbye to her unforgettable personality, her infectious smile, and her warm and loving heart,” the joint statement, which was signed by “Simon, Max & the Kitahara Family,” said. For us, our family, and the animation world, this is an unfathomable tragedy. I appreciate all of your friendship, love, and support for her throughout the years. For many, she was everything.
Over the course of her more than three decades in the business, Kitahara was instrumental in promoting some of the most popular animated movies of the last several decades.
Campaigns for many Shrek movies, Chicken Run, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, Coraline, How to Train Your Dragon, Kubo and the Two Strings, Over the Moon, and The Sea Beast were among Fumi’s projects, according to Deadline.
Additionally, she managed the award campaigns for animated shorts that won Oscars, including War Is Over! and The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse. John and Yoko’s music served as inspiration.
Kitahara graduated from California State University, Northridge with a degree in business marketing, according to Deadline. She started working with seasoned publicist Howard Green at Walt Disney Studios in 1992.
She helped promote masterpieces including The Nightmare Before Christmas, Toy Story, Pocahontas, The Lion King, and the documentary Frank and Ollie while she was there.
