Andrew Gunn, Producer Behind Disney Hits ‘Freaky Friday,’ ‘Sky High,’ Dies at 58

andrew gunn, the producer behind Disney films Freaky Friday and Sky High, has died at 58. Diagnosed in 2024 with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), he passed away at his home in Toronto, his family announced Monday.

Andrew Gunn's Disney-era hits

Gunn held an exclusive first-look deal with Disney during the period when Dick Cook and Nina Jacobson ran the studio and produced a string of big-budget comedies and family pictures. His credits include Freaky Friday, Sky High, The Haunted Mansion and Bedtime Stories, and he worked on projects inspired by Disneyland rides.

From Freaky Friday to Freakier Friday

Freaky Friday began after Gunn pitched the idea to studio leadership; Annette Bening and Tom Selleck were once attached before the film ultimately cast Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan. The film was a commercial hit and earned Curtis a Golden Globe nomination in the best actress (musical or comedy) category. Gunn reteamed Curtis and Lohan for the well-regarded sequel Freakier Friday, which was released last year.

Personal life, illness and early career

andrew gunn was born in Toronto in 1967 and graduated from University of Western in Canada before moving to Los Angeles for a master’s degree from the Annenberg School at USC. One of his first industry jobs was with producer David Permut. In the late 1990s, he ran development at Great Oaks Entertainment, the production company run by John Hughes.

Gunn spoke openly about family as a professional joy: his two adult children, Isabelle and Connor Gunn, worked on Freakier Friday—Isabelle in the camera department and Connor in props—and he wrote in 2025, “I can’t express what that meant to me. ”

He had been diagnosed with ALS in 2024 and died at home in Toronto; his family announced his passing on Monday. One account of his life lists survivors including his wife Jane Bellamy Gunn, his children, his mother Anne Gunn and siblings Hilary Knight, Graeme Gunn and Cameron Gunn, and notes he was predeceased by his father, Charles Gunn.

No schedule for memorial services was released in the announcement. His family’s notice marked the close of a career that brought several widely seen Disney releases to theaters and gave screen time and opportunities to young talent through initiatives he supported during his tenure at the studio.