Brenda Chapman, original director of Brave, who has since left Pixar for Lucasfilm, published an opinion piece with the New York Times titled, “Stand Up for Yourself, and Mentor Others” in which she describes some of her true feelings behind the director switch-up during production of Brave when she was replaced by Mark Andrews.

In the original reports “creative differences” were cited as the reason for the replacement. Nothing further was ever said, and Brenda remained on staff at Pixar, giving the impression that she was still happy with her role at Pixar. But with her recent move to Lucasfilm, and now this article, one might assume otherwise:

It has been a heartbreakingly hard road for me over the last year and a half. When Pixar took me off of "Brave" – a story that came from my heart, inspired by my relationship with my daughter – it was devastating.

Brenda Chapman

She also writes extensively about the role of women in animation, and the lack of protection available to directors in the animation industry. It's a quick, but interesting read, and gives us a peek inside an issue that doesn't seem to have transpired as rosily as we were originally told.