Andrew Gunn, Producer of 'Freaky Friday' and 'Cruella', Dies of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Andrew Gunn, an American film producer successful in making family films for the Disney studio, has died at the age of 58 from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). His family announced his death, and 'The Hollywood Reporter' was the first to report it on Sunday, March 3, 2026. Gunn was a co-founder and president of the independent production company Gunn Films, which had maintained a close production partnership with Disney Studios since 1998. It was under his supervision that titles iconic for many generations were created. He gained the greatest fame from the 2003 film 'Freaky Friday' (in Polish translation 'Ponte en mi lugar' or 'Zamiana ciał'), a comedy starring Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis about a mother and daughter swapping bodies. Another success was the production of 'Sky High: School of Superheroes' (2005), a film about teenagers at an academy for superheroes, which achieved cult status. In recent years, Gunn was a key producer of the blockbuster 'Cruella' (2021) starring Emma Stone in the title role, which told the story of the youth of Cruella de Vil from '101 Dalmatians'.Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, Lou Gehrig's disease) is a progressive, incurable neurodegenerative disease that attacks motor neurons, leading to muscle paralysis and ultimately death. The disease gained global recognition thanks to the 'Ice Bucket Challenge' campaign in 2014, which raised hundreds of millions of dollars for research. Among the most famous people who died from ALS are physicist Stephen Hawking and baseball player Lou Gehrig, after whom the disease is commonly named. Andrew Gunn's career in the film industry began in the 1990s at Disney Studios. In 1998, he founded his own production company, Gunn Films, which signed a long-term contract with Disney. He specialized in creating successful comedies and adventure films for family audiences. His death sparked a wave of memories in American and Spanish-language industry media, which highlighted his contribution to shaping family cinema. „Andrew Gunn, Producer Behind Disney Hits 'Freaky Friday,' 'Sky High,' Dies at 58” — The Hollywood Reporter Spanish articles, '20 minutos' and 'El Mundo', published the information a day later, on March 4, citing American sources and adding Spanish film titles. All three sources consistently report the cause of death and the producer's age.