Why This "Lion King" Animator QUIT Disney For Jesus

What happens when your dream job at Disney clashes with your faith? Tom Bancroft, a legendary animator from Disney's "second golden age," was told the subtle Christian themes in a film made executives "uncomfortable" and was even asked to remove a cross from a church in the movie. That was the moment that changed everything. ‪@PencilishStudios‬ In this powerful interview, former Disney Animator Tom Bancroft (The Lion King, Mulan, Aladdin, Brother Bear) shares his incredible journey of being salt and light inside one of the world's biggest media companies. He reveals the pressure he faced from fellow Christians, the "woke" culture shift he witnessed firsthand, and the pivotal moment God called him to leave his dream job to work on VeggieTales. Now, Tom is directing a brand new, feature-length animated film about the life of Jesus called "Light of the World," and he's applying the lessons he learned from Disney to create kingdom-focused content with a level of excellence that will inspire the next generation. 🍿 See LIGHT OF THE WORLD in theaters starting September 5, 2025! Get tickets & info: https://lightoftheworld.com/ • Listen to the Bancroft Brothers Animation Podcast:    / @pencilishstudios   • Learn about Tom's studio, Pencilish Animation: https://www.pencilish.com/ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ✝️ ABOUT THE SALTY CHRISTIANS The Salty Christians channel exists to inspire you to be salt and light (Matthew 5:13-16) right where God has you. We interview everyday believers, artists, athletes, and influencers who are using their gifts to make a difference for the Kingdom. If you were inspired by this story, please SUBSCRIBE and hit the notification bell so you don't miss our next video! ➡️ SUBSCRIBE HERE:    / @thesaltychristians   - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ⏰ TIMESTAMPS / CHAPTERS 00:00 - The Moment I Knew I Had to Leave Disney 01:54 - Called Out of a Dream Job 03:25 - Facing the Disney Boycotts as a Christian Animator 04:39 - The "John Henry" Film That Made Disney Execs "Uncomfortable" 07:29 - Quitting Disney to Animate VeggieTales 08:50 - The Shock of Praying at Work (After Leaving Disney) 11:23 - The Mission Behind His New Jesus Film, "Light of the World" 17:18 - Competing with The Prince of Egypt & The Chosen 19:50 - How Animating the Apostles Changed His Bible Reading 21:08 - Tour of Tom's Priceless Disney Animation Collection 24:55 - How an Artist's Soul Can Defeat AI 28:20 - The Story Behind Tom's One-of-a-Kind Mulan Cast Drawing 31:01 - Why Was Christian Media Always "Cheesy"? 35:15 - Making a Disney-Quality Film on 1/5th the Budget 40:51 - The 3 Rules for Animating the Story of Jesus 46:17 - How Tom Shares His Faith Through His Animation Podcast #disneyanimator #christianfaith #testimony #lightoftheworldmovie #thesaltychristians