Fumi Kitahara, the acclaimed animation publicist who worked on beloved films such as the Shrek franchise, 's Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit and How to Train Your Dragon died after a long battle with leukemia on Monday (February 24) at the age of 56.

Her "devastated" family issued a statement confirming the news. "Dear Friends of Fumi. We're devastated to share that our dear Fumi passed away this afternoon, February 24, after her long struggle with a rare blood cancer.

"She was surrounded by the love of her family and close friends. We know many of you will be as heartbroken as we are in saying goodbye to her unforgettable personality, her infectious smile, and her warm and loving heart.

"This is an unimaginable loss for us, our family, and and the animation community. Thank you for the love, support and friendship you have shown her over the years.

"She meant so much to so many," the statement signed "Simon, Max & the Kitahara Family" concluded.

Born in 1968 Kitahara was just days away from her birthday, which falls on March 2.

She began her career in 1992 at Walt Disney Studios where she contributed to the publicity campaigns for classic movies such as The Lion King, Pocahontas, Toy Story, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and the documentary Frank and Ollie.

In 1996, she joined DreamWorks SKG as Head of Animation Publicity. In her 11 years leading the department she was was behind campaigns for The Prince of Egypt, the frst three Shrek movies, and Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, to name just a few.

She founded her own boutique publicity firm, the PR Kitchen, in 2007 and contributed to numerous high-profile awards campaigns including Guillermo Del Toro's Oscar-winning Pinocchio in 2022. She oversaw campaigns for numerous Oscar-winning shorts, including most recently The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse in 2022 and War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John and Yoko in 2023.

Oscart winning Wallace and Gromit director Nick Park paid tribute in a statement writing: "We at Aardman are so very deeply shocked and saddened by the loss of our dear friend and colleague Fumi.

"It's hard to put into words just how much she will be missed; her years of unrelenting enthusiasm, invaluable support and her eternally generous spirit and friendship will always live on for us.

"A bright and very precious light has surely gone out in the animation world today."

She's survived by her husband, filmmaker Simon Otto; their son, Max; her mother, Teruko Kitahara; sister, Hiroko Kitahara Domes; and brother, Keiichi Kitahara.