Jimmy Hayward

James Hayward (born September 17, 1970) is a retired Canadian film director, screenwriter and animator.

Biography
At a young age, Hayward began his career at Mainframe Entertainment animating and directing commercials. He was one of the original animators of the television series ReBoot. Throughout his career, he has worked at Pixar Animation Studios, 20th Century Fox and Blue Sky Studios, and was an animator for Toy Story, A Bug's Life, Toy Story 2, Monsters, Inc. and Finding Nemo. He was the sequence director and story consultant for Robots.

His studio directorial debut, Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! starring Jim Carrey and Steve Carell, had a worldwide gross of $298.6 million.

Hayward's first live-action film, Jonah Hex, was released in June 2010. Grossing just under $11 million on a $47 million budget.

Hayward was also director and writer on an animated film Free Birds, starring Woody Harrelson, Owen Wilson and Amy Poehler, which was released in 2013 to unfavourable critical reception, but financial success.

In April 2023, a benefit for Hayward was put together to help pay medical bills in relation to a bone cancer diagnosis.