Gary Marsh, the longtime head of Disney Channels who steered such franchises as “High School Musical,” “Descendants,” “Phineas and Ferb” and “Gravity Falls,” will transition at year’s end to a production pact with the studio.
Marsh is one of the most well-liked executives on the Disney lot, respected for his long tenure in shaping programming for Disney’s signature cable outlets. He is respected in the industry from his strong track record and eye for spotting budding talents including Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, the Jonas Brothers, Zendaya, Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Demi Lovato, Shia Labeouf, Olivia Rodrigo and Debby Ryan.
“Gary’s leadership and creative genius have shaped a generation of beloved kids and family programming, and we are forever grateful for the indelible impact he’s made at the Walt Disney Company,” said Peter Rice, chairman of Disney General Entertainment. “Gary is a valued leader and good friend,...
Marsh is one of the most well-liked executives on the Disney lot, respected for his long tenure in shaping programming for Disney’s signature cable outlets. He is respected in the industry from his strong track record and eye for spotting budding talents including Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, the Jonas Brothers, Zendaya, Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Demi Lovato, Shia Labeouf, Olivia Rodrigo and Debby Ryan.
“Gary’s leadership and creative genius have shaped a generation of beloved kids and family programming, and we are forever grateful for the indelible impact he’s made at the Walt Disney Company,” said Peter Rice, chairman of Disney General Entertainment. “Gary is a valued leader and good friend,...
- 9/21/2021
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
Just when you thought Girl Meets World had run out of fan-favorite Boy Meets World characters to bring into the Disney Channel collective… enter Jack Hunter.
RelatedGirl Meets World Boss Explains Why He Did That to Shawn and Angela
Matthew Lawrence‘s character — the half-brother of Cory’s best friend Shawn, just in case your memory is rusty — makes his long-awaited debut on the Emmy-nominated series this Friday (8:30/7:30c), and it should come as no surprise that Eric is responsible for his grand arrival.
“How’s life treating you?” Cory asks in TVLine’s exclusive sneak peek of Friday’s episode,...
RelatedGirl Meets World Boss Explains Why He Did That to Shawn and Angela
Matthew Lawrence‘s character — the half-brother of Cory’s best friend Shawn, just in case your memory is rusty — makes his long-awaited debut on the Emmy-nominated series this Friday (8:30/7:30c), and it should come as no surprise that Eric is responsible for his grand arrival.
“How’s life treating you?” Cory asks in TVLine’s exclusive sneak peek of Friday’s episode,...
- 8/11/2015
- TVLine.com
Disney Channel’s Descendants on Friday night conjured 6.6 million total viewers, a 14 percent larger audience than Teen Beach 2 premiered to earlier in the month.
RelatedDescendants Stars on Twist Ending, Sequel Ideas: ‘Mal’s Story Isn’t Over’
The kids-of-villains telepic thus stands as the most-watched cable movie of the year to date, and is the highest-rated among the Kids 2-11 and Tweens 9-14 demos.
Descendants also has TVLine commenters near-unanimously clamoring for a sequel, giving it an average grade of “A-” — stay tuned!
Leading out of the TV-movie, the Jessie spinoff Bunk’D — which was not an exercise in...
RelatedDescendants Stars on Twist Ending, Sequel Ideas: ‘Mal’s Story Isn’t Over’
The kids-of-villains telepic thus stands as the most-watched cable movie of the year to date, and is the highest-rated among the Kids 2-11 and Tweens 9-14 demos.
Descendants also has TVLine commenters near-unanimously clamoring for a sequel, giving it an average grade of “A-” — stay tuned!
Leading out of the TV-movie, the Jessie spinoff Bunk’D — which was not an exercise in...
- 8/1/2015
- TVLine.com
Bucking the downward trend plaguing much of reality-driven cable, Discovery just wrapped its strongest quarter ever. During the first three months with Rich Ross as president, Discovery posted all-time highs among total viewers and the targeted demographic of adults 25-54. Up 9 percent from the same period the prior year, Discovery's primetime averaged 1.65 million viewers with all live-plus-three day data reported. Read More Discovery Orders 'Naked and Afraid' Spinoff, 'Killing Fields' Series (Exclusive) Among adults 25-54, Discovery was up 4 percent to an average 0.84 rating during primetime to put it
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- 4/3/2015
- by Michael O'Connell
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Discovery Communications, Inc. released fourth-quarter financials on Thursday morning before the U.S. stock markets opened, reporting diluted earnings per share of $0.38 on net income of $250 million. Revenue was $1.676 billion. That profit number dropped 13.5 percent from 2013’s Q4, when net income was $289 million. The company attributed that primarily to higher restructuring costs and lower equity earnings. Wall Street had forecasted Q4 2014 Eps of $0.41 on $1.7 billion in revenue, therefore, the media conglomerate missed analyst marks for the measured three-month period. Also Read: Discovery Chief Rich Ross on Controversial ‘Eaten Alive’ Special: It ‘Was Misleading’ Despite falling below expectations,...
- 2/19/2015
- by Tony Maglio
- The Wrap
Bryant Gumbel took aim at sports journalism in general during a panel for HBO’s “Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel” at the Television Critics Association on Thursday, slamming much of sports coverage as “terribly sycophantic.”
“You know, there’s so little of it practiced unfortunately, it seems to me,” Gumbel replied when asked about how sports journalism has changed over the years. “So much of what passes for sports coverage, in my opinion, is terribly sycophantic. We tend to not ask the same difficult questions of people in sports that we do of politicians or business people or even people in the entertainment industry.
“You know, there’s so little of it practiced unfortunately, it seems to me,” Gumbel replied when asked about how sports journalism has changed over the years. “So much of what passes for sports coverage, in my opinion, is terribly sycophantic. We tend to not ask the same difficult questions of people in sports that we do of politicians or business people or even people in the entertainment industry.
- 1/9/2015
- by Tim Kenneally
- The Wrap
Two years after Disney's failed film adaptation of the first Edgar Rice Burrogh's "John Carter of Mars" hit cinemas, the film and TV rights to the property have reverted back to the late author's estate.
In a statement released by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc., the company confirmed the reverstion and that they are "seeking a new studio to continue this seminal Sci-Fi adventure".
The 2012 film starred Taylor Kitsch as a former military captain inexplicably transported to Mars where he becomes embroiled in a civil war. Critical reviews were mixed, the marketing campaign has been written about as one of the most disastrous in recent history, and domestic box-office was woeful with just $73 million.
Internationally it fared better with a further $211 million, but that still wasn't close to covering the film's enormous $250 million budget. As a result, Disney took a major write down on the film with the perceived failure leading...
In a statement released by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc., the company confirmed the reverstion and that they are "seeking a new studio to continue this seminal Sci-Fi adventure".
The 2012 film starred Taylor Kitsch as a former military captain inexplicably transported to Mars where he becomes embroiled in a civil war. Critical reviews were mixed, the marketing campaign has been written about as one of the most disastrous in recent history, and domestic box-office was woeful with just $73 million.
Internationally it fared better with a further $211 million, but that still wasn't close to covering the film's enormous $250 million budget. As a result, Disney took a major write down on the film with the perceived failure leading...
- 10/21/2014
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Updated, 11:15 Am: The mini studio making big moves today confirmed that former Fox and Disney exec Oren Aviv will serve as President and Chief Content Officer, which we told you about first last month. Aviv will oversee motion picture development, production, and marketing at the new film and TV studio, reporting directly to Stx head Robert Simonds.
Aviv and Simonds are prepping to produce and distribute up to 10 star-driven films per year in the $20 million to $60 million budget range. The two first worked together on the Adam Sandler comedy The Waterboy, which Simonds produced and Aviv marketed while at Disney. That’s also the kind of star-centered genre project Stx is focusing on. The duo cite more recent midbudgeted hits The Proposal, The Other Woman, Neighbors, Ride Along, Contraband, Safe House, and 22 Jump Street as examples of the kinds of projects they’re strategically engineering.
“These are not passion projects,...
Aviv and Simonds are prepping to produce and distribute up to 10 star-driven films per year in the $20 million to $60 million budget range. The two first worked together on the Adam Sandler comedy The Waterboy, which Simonds produced and Aviv marketed while at Disney. That’s also the kind of star-centered genre project Stx is focusing on. The duo cite more recent midbudgeted hits The Proposal, The Other Woman, Neighbors, Ride Along, Contraband, Safe House, and 22 Jump Street as examples of the kinds of projects they’re strategically engineering.
“These are not passion projects,...
- 9/3/2014
- by Anita Busch and Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline
Former Disney executive Mark Zoradi is joining DreamWorks Animation as chief operating officer as the Glendale-based company beefs up its executive ranks, Dwa announced today. Ann Daly, who has served as COO since 2004, is being promoted to president. Lew Coleman, who has held the post of president since 2005 is taking on the role of vice chairman. Coleman will also continue to serve as CFO and acting chief accounting officer. Zoradi most recently served as president of the Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Group, resigning that post in 2009 during Rich Ross' brief tenure as chairman of Walt Disney
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- 7/28/2014
- by Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The risk of changing management is that new executives face a steep learning curve. Some figure out the rules of the game fast enough to keep their jobs. Others--see Gail Berman at Paramount, Rich Ross at Disney--do not. When Warner Bros. chief executive Jeff Bewkes pitted three senior managers against each other to win the job of running the studio, he lost his top TV and film execs. And that was after he let go of the film studio's Alan Horn to favor the rise of Jeff Robinov. Warners eventually lost him too after digital exec Kevin Tsujihara won the studio prize. In retrospect, the sage and mature Horn may have provided an important managerial buffer for the gifted but mercurial Robinov. Now Horn is steering a strong course at the Disney studio, and Robinov's talents will serve the Sony brand. So Tsuijihara banked on his own bench at the movie studio,...
- 6/11/2014
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Walt Disney Studios has extended the contract for chairman Alan Horn into 2018. Horn, the former Warner Bros. chief, joined Disney on May 31, 2012. Horn, 71, oversees worldwide operations for The Walt Disney Studios including production, distribution and marketing for live-action and animated films from Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Lucasfilm as well as marketing and distribution for DreamWorks Studios films released under the Touchstone Pictures banner. He also oversees Disney’s music and theatrical groups. Horn replaced Rich Ross as chairman. One of his first jobs was navigating the complicated shoot for The Lone Ranger. And many of the
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- 5/15/2014
- by Borys Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
A version of this story first appeared in the Jan. 3, 2014, issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. When Rich Ross was asked to step down from his high-powered, if short-lived, job as Walt Disney Studios film chief in April 2012, he considered his options. There were the more traditional routes: Find financing and become an independent producer or return to running a television network or corporate entity, as he did with much success as president of Disney Channels Worldwide from 2004 to 2009. But Ross says neither sounded appealing, noting he enjoys the manager role too much
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- 12/18/2013
- by Lacey Rose
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Update 1 Pm: The search for Michael Riley‘s replacement is still in the nascent stages, but his No. 2, Evp Original Programming and Development and Chief Creative Officer Kate Juergens, is being talked about as a logical choice. The main question is whether, following her recent promotion to a Chief Creative Officer, Juergens would want the top job. The situation is reminiscent of that at sibling Disney Channel, where the top creative executive, Gary Marsh, did not go for the president job when Rich Ross left to run Disney Studios. After the job became vacant again two years later when Carolina Lightcap left, Marsh took over. Juergens similarly had been ABC Family’s top development executive but did not make a play for the president position when Paul Lee left in 2010. Will she do it now? Previous 12:05 Pm: Michael Riley is leaving ABC Family after a three-year stint as president.
- 9/20/2013
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
Disney isn’t denying that its $225 million western The Lone Ranger tanked on opening weekend. The film earned a disastrous $47.9 million during its five-day debut, a total that has led some analysts to predict that Disney will take a $190 million write-down as a result.
“It’s disappointing,” admits Dave Hollis, Disney’s executive VP of theatrical exhibition sales and distribution. “The frustrating thing for us is that it felt like the ingredients were there.” The exec says that, on paper, the combination of “the most successful producer in history ; an award-winning, commercially successful director ; and the biggest movie star in...
“It’s disappointing,” admits Dave Hollis, Disney’s executive VP of theatrical exhibition sales and distribution. “The frustrating thing for us is that it felt like the ingredients were there.” The exec says that, on paper, the combination of “the most successful producer in history ; an award-winning, commercially successful director ; and the biggest movie star in...
- 7/10/2013
- by Grady Smith
- EW - Inside Movies
The scuttle from the set of the prodigiously expensive "The Lone Ranger," the latest movie from the producer, writers and director behind the lucrative "Pirates of the Caribbean" series, was that Gore Verbinski was yet another runaway director run amok, not unlike Michael Cimino on "Heaven's Gate," lavishing millions of dollars on building two working 250-ton 19th-century style trains (hydraulic, not steam) to run on a five-mile oval track with a stretch of double tracks, among other things. The film's turbulent production history included neophyte Disney studio head Rich Ross (since replaced by ex-Warners president Alan Horn, 70, who talks about the movie to THR here) pulling back the budget from $260 million to greenlight the film at $215 million. Dream on. Verbinski's attitude during production was to spend freely to make the movie he wanted, presumably on the basis that the four "Pirates" films (not all directed by him) had grossed $3.7 billion at the global box office.
- 7/1/2013
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Former Hannah Montana and High School Musical chief Rich Ross – now CEO of Shine America – will be the keynote speaker at the Australian Subscription Television and Radio Conference in March.
Rich Ross, CEO of Shine America will deliver the keynote address at the upcoming Australian Subscription Television and Radio Association (Astra) 2013 Conference on 14 March. In his first Australian appearance since stepping in to the Shine role this month, Rich will take a timely look at the impact and importance of quality content that engages with and enhances the experience of TV viewers.
As the CEO of Shine America, Rich spearheads the company behind popular and award-winning original series including The Biggest Loser, adaptations of other Shine Group owned series such as MasterChef, Minute to Win It, and The Office. Through Shine Group’s distribution arm, Shine International, Shine America distributes its library of programming and formats to more than 150 countries.
Rich Ross, CEO of Shine America will deliver the keynote address at the upcoming Australian Subscription Television and Radio Association (Astra) 2013 Conference on 14 March. In his first Australian appearance since stepping in to the Shine role this month, Rich will take a timely look at the impact and importance of quality content that engages with and enhances the experience of TV viewers.
As the CEO of Shine America, Rich spearheads the company behind popular and award-winning original series including The Biggest Loser, adaptations of other Shine Group owned series such as MasterChef, Minute to Win It, and The Office. Through Shine Group’s distribution arm, Shine International, Shine America distributes its library of programming and formats to more than 150 countries.
- 1/23/2013
- by Marcus Casey
- Encore Magazine
Shine America is launching Shine Hispanic & Latin America, a new division that will develop and produce original Spanish-language content for the U.S. and Latin American marketplaces. Veteran Colombian TV producer and executive Cristina Palacio has been named president of the new division, reporting to Shine America CEO Rich Ross. Palacio, most recently the founder and President of Colombian-based TV production company Be-tv, will oversee new Shine America offices in Miami, Fla., and Bogota, Colombia, with programming distributed through Shine International. “With Shine Hispanic & Latin America we are looking to further develop and distribute both scripted and un-scripted programming to the rapidly growing Spanish-language marketplace,” says Ross. “Cristina’s vast experience in production and distribution make her the ideal person to lead our new team.” Last fall, Shine America produced its first Spanish-language series Minuto Para Ganar, a Spanish-language version of NBC’s Minute It Win It, for MundoFox. At Be-tv,...
- 1/23/2013
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
This year, actors like Kevin Costner, moguls like George Lucas and prognosticators like Nate Silver saw their stock climb on the strength of risky bets that paid off. Others were less fortunate. From Rich Ross, who was forced out of Disney, to Simon Cowell, who overhauled the “X-Factor” -- but not its ratings -- some former stars crashed to earth. Here are 10 people, companies and trends that will meet the new year riding high -- and 10 that will crawl into January in a much-diminished state.
- 12/26/2012
- by The Wrap
- Huffington Post
"American Idol" and "So You Think You Can Dance" executive producer Nigel Lythgoe has entered a multi-year production deal with Shine America. Under the exclusive deal between Nigel Lythgoe Productions and Shine, Lythgoe will jointly develop and produce entertainment franchises for the global television marketplace with the Shine Group, Shine America CEO Rich Ross said Thursday. Nigel Lythgoe Productions will continue to be based in Los Angeles. The agreement begins Jan. 1, 2013. Also read: "Fame" Is Gonna Live Forever, Thanks to Nigel Lythgoe's Reboot "I am thrilled to be teaming up with Shine...
- 12/7/2012
- by Tim Kenneally
- The Wrap
American Idol's Nigel Lythgoe has inked a multiyear pact with Shine America to develop projects for the global marketplace. Under the move, the Idol and So You Think You Can Dance producer, via his Nigel Lythgoe Productions panner, develop and produce entertainment franchises with the Shine Group. Lythgoe launched the production shingle last year with Idol creator Core Media Group (previously 19 Entertainment). "Nigel is clearly one of the world's leading television producers, with an unmatched track record in TV programming both here in the U.S. and in the UK," Shine America CEO Rich Ross said in a
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- 12/7/2012
- by THR Staff
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: Shine America has entered an exclusive, multi-year production partnership with Nigel Lythgoe Prods., the company of the executive producer of American Idol and exec producer/judge of So You Think You Can Dance. Under the pact, which starts January 1, Shine and Lythgoe will develop and produce new series for the global TV marketplace. “Nigel is clearly one of the world’s leading television producers, with an unmatched track record in TV programming both here in the U.S. and in the UK,” said incoming Shine America CEO Rich Ross. Added Elisabeth Murdoch, Chairman of Shine Group, “I have known and admired Nigel for a long time. The creative potential of our partnership is truly staggering and I am more than delighted to be able to be working with him.” For the past decade, British-born Lythgoe has been based at 19 Entertainment (now Core Media Group), since the company’s founder/former owner,...
- 12/7/2012
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
In an era of Nikki Finke and Deadline.com, it's hard to imagine any deal in Hollywood staying secret for too long. Which is why the news that Disney had acquired Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion and was planning a new "Star Wars" trilogy blindsided nearly everyone with an internet connection and a soft spot for Chewbacca. As Disney studio chief Alan Horn told Kyle Buchanan at Vulture on Thursday night, the secrecy surrounding "Episode VII" was no accident.
"I think everybody was mature about it," Horn said. "It's important to keep these things confidential, so people just kept their mouths shut. Not many [people knew about it]. It was a very small group. Probably a smaller group than knew about the attack on [Osama] bin Laden!"
Disney announced its acquisition of Lucasfilm on Oct. 30, just about five months to the day that Horn took over as studio chief. The position was previously held by Rich Ross,...
"I think everybody was mature about it," Horn said. "It's important to keep these things confidential, so people just kept their mouths shut. Not many [people knew about it]. It was a very small group. Probably a smaller group than knew about the attack on [Osama] bin Laden!"
Disney announced its acquisition of Lucasfilm on Oct. 30, just about five months to the day that Horn took over as studio chief. The position was previously held by Rich Ross,...
- 11/30/2012
- by The Huffington Post
- Huffington Post
Update: Conditions look good for Brad Pitt to board the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Director David Fincher has said he'd like Brad Pitt to play master harpooner (or is it harpoonist?) Ned Land. Fincher and Pitt are long time colleages, with Pitt starring in Fincher's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Fight Club and Se7en. Now, Pitt tells MTV, "I'd love to, I mean, he's my man. He's got a great take on it. That's just gonna be about schedule and time allocation, but he's my man." So, that's a yes?
May 18, 2010 - When Rich Ross was promoted to head cheese of Disney Studios, one of his first acts was axing the remake of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea because he thought it was off-brand for the Mouse House. Now, Disney is trying to revive the project in a high-class way: they're in negotiations with Oscar-nominated director David Fincher and...
May 18, 2010 - When Rich Ross was promoted to head cheese of Disney Studios, one of his first acts was axing the remake of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea because he thought it was off-brand for the Mouse House. Now, Disney is trying to revive the project in a high-class way: they're in negotiations with Oscar-nominated director David Fincher and...
- 11/30/2012
- by tara@kidspickflicks.com (Tara the Mom)
- kidspickflicks
As 2012 draws to a close and the year in movies gets reduced to a bunch of lists, when folks look back on the flops, Disney's "John Carter" will be at the top of the pile next to "Battleship." The studio's long-in-the works sci-fi adventure completely missed with audiences, divided critics, and was at best viewed as a missed opportunity, or worst as an expensive folly. Disney took a $200 million hit on the project, it may have cost Rich Ross his job, and while a small contingent of fans are clamoring for a sequel, that's probably never going to happen. Instead, we can continue to nitpick what went wrong with the movie, and most everyone can agree the marketing did "John Carter" no favors. The Av Club recently chatted with Dominic West, who played the villain in the movie, as part of their Random Roles feature, and he reveals that the...
- 11/28/2012
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Dave Schulz has been named VP Production and Chris Campbell VP Post Production at Shine America. Schulz, previously Executive Director, Production, will continue to oversee day-to-day production across Shine America’s properties and development slate. Campbell, who was Executive in Charge of Post Production, will continue to oversee all day-to-day postproduction activities for the company. Shine America’s slate includes unscripted series MasterChef on Fox and The Biggest Loser on NBC, which will soon be joined by The Face on Oxygen. The company, whose scripted series originally consisted of Reveille’s The Office and The Tudors, has been ramping up scripted development and recently landed its first scripted pilot, The Bridge, on FX. Related: Rich Ross Named CEO Of Shine America...
- 11/21/2012
- by THE DEADLINE TEAM
- Deadline TV
Shine’s Matt Campbell has been made redundant
Shine’s Carl Fennessy is to return home from running the company’s Us operation in a move which sees MD matt Campbell laid off.
Shine is Australia’s most successful TV production house with franchises including The Voice, MasterChef, The Biggest Loser and Beauty and the Geek.
Although it was not announced at the time that Fennessy headed overseas, Shine claims it was always the plan for him to return after a two year stint.
Campbell was with the company for just over a year, joining from Sbs in July last year, following the announcement of Fennessy’s move to the Us in June 2011.
Carl and Mark Fennessy launched Shine Australia in 2009 after leaving production house FremantleMedia.
Mark Fennessy, CEO and president of Shine Australia, said of Campbell’s departure: “We sincerely thank Matt Campbell and wish him the best. He...
Shine’s Carl Fennessy is to return home from running the company’s Us operation in a move which sees MD matt Campbell laid off.
Shine is Australia’s most successful TV production house with franchises including The Voice, MasterChef, The Biggest Loser and Beauty and the Geek.
Although it was not announced at the time that Fennessy headed overseas, Shine claims it was always the plan for him to return after a two year stint.
Campbell was with the company for just over a year, joining from Sbs in July last year, following the announcement of Fennessy’s move to the Us in June 2011.
Carl and Mark Fennessy launched Shine Australia in 2009 after leaving production house FremantleMedia.
Mark Fennessy, CEO and president of Shine Australia, said of Campbell’s departure: “We sincerely thank Matt Campbell and wish him the best. He...
- 10/31/2012
- by Colin Delaney
- Encore Magazine
Former Walt Disney Studios chairman Rich Ross has signed on with Shine America as CEO, the company said Tuesday. Shine America is the U.S. wing of the Shine Group, the production company chaired by Rupert Murdoch's daughter Elisabeth Murdoch. Ross is coming aboard to succeed current Shine America CEO Carl Fennessy, who's returning to Australia following the completion of his two-year term in Los Angeles. Fennessy will serve as joint CEO of Shine Australia in mid-2013. Also read: Rich Ross Out as Walt Disney Studios Chairman Ross will join the company in January. Ross, whose...
- 10/30/2012
- by Tim Kenneally
- The Wrap
Having moved up through the Disney ranks to head of Disney Channels Worldwide and then a short tenure running the Disney Studio, Rich Ross is now taking over chairman Elisabeth Murdoch's TV and production company Shine America as CEO, reports Variety. In 2011 News Corp. acquired her ten-year-old Shine Group, which has 28 operating companies; Elisabeth Murdoch is assumed to be readying herself for wider responsibilties at her father Rupert's empire. Ross takes over for departing Carl Fennessy, who is returning to Australia after two years supervising the U.S. Shine Group.
- 10/30/2012
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
This story comes courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter and first appeared in the Oct. 19 issue of the magazine.
They were part of Hollywood lore, the "Killer Dillers" of the mid-1970s. With Barry Diller in the top job, the team presided over Paramount during an extraordinary run -- with hits from the Oscar-winning Reds to the franchise-launching Star Trek and Raiders of the Lost Ark. Included in the group of brilliant young execs were future Disney chairman and CEO Michael Eisner; future Disney studio chairman and DreamWorks Animation boss Jeffrey Katzenberg; Dawn Steel, who would become president of Columbia Pictures; and Don Simpson, who would produce with Jerry Bruckheimer such hits as Flashdance, Top Gun and Beverly Hills Cop.
"Back in the day, those were the guys in the room," says a former studio boss. "Now, who the f-- is in the room? You don't see people as well-rounded and business-wise as they were.
They were part of Hollywood lore, the "Killer Dillers" of the mid-1970s. With Barry Diller in the top job, the team presided over Paramount during an extraordinary run -- with hits from the Oscar-winning Reds to the franchise-launching Star Trek and Raiders of the Lost Ark. Included in the group of brilliant young execs were future Disney chairman and CEO Michael Eisner; future Disney studio chairman and DreamWorks Animation boss Jeffrey Katzenberg; Dawn Steel, who would become president of Columbia Pictures; and Don Simpson, who would produce with Jerry Bruckheimer such hits as Flashdance, Top Gun and Beverly Hills Cop.
"Back in the day, those were the guys in the room," says a former studio boss. "Now, who the f-- is in the room? You don't see people as well-rounded and business-wise as they were.
- 10/10/2012
- Huffington Post
After seeing the massive grosses come in for re-releases of The Polar Express, Walt Disney Pictures chairman Dick Cook wanted Robert Zemeckis and his performance capture studio, ImageMovers Digital, to come to Disney and make movies for them. Zemeckis, who had previously made the classic Who Framed Roger Rabbit for the company, was delighted to work with the company. Disney was especially pleased to hear his first project for Disney would be a performance capture reimagining of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol with Jim Carrey in the lead as Ebenezer Scrooge and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future.
Of course, the film wasn't a smash hit but made a decent amount of money. Many admired its straightforward approach to the classic story (albeit with some minor alterations) but families didn't like the scary tone of the film. They blamed the marketing by Disney, which had promised a whimsical,...
- 10/9/2012
- by Zack Parks
- GeekTyrant
We're now six months out from "John Carter," Disney's hugely expensive flop based on the beloved novels by Edgar Rice Burroughs about a Civil War vet magically transported to Mars, a land of warring tribes, princesses, and adorable, multi-legged dog thingees (we love you Woola!) Since then, Disney has admitted to losing $200 million on the movie and two of its top executives – Walt Disney Studios chairman Rich Ross and marketing chief Mt Carney – were fired in its wake. But director Andrew Stanton, who had made the hugely profitable "Wall-e" and "Finding Nemo" for Pixar and who before the release had maintained an air of bulletproof unflappability, has kept mum. Until now. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, the director opens up about the making and marketing of the movie and what's up next. Stanton admits that he wasn't ever compromised, creatively or artistically, during the entire development process of.
- 9/10/2012
- by Drew Taylor
- The Playlist
Los Angeles -- A box office blast from "The Avengers" and an enthusiastic response to the revamp of Disneyland's California Adventure theme park helped The Walt Disney Co. reap a better-than-expected third-quarter profit.
Disney's movie studio was behind much of the earnings gain as studio profit surged to $313 million from $49 million a year ago, backed by upbeat ticket sales to movies like "The Avengers" and "Brave." However, revenue missed expectations as studio revenue was roughly flat at $1.63 billion, much less than the $1.77 billion analysts expected. Smaller revenue from DVD and Blu-ray disc sales than a year ago was a key factor in the miss.
CEO Bob Iger said attendance at Disney California Adventure accounted for about half of the visits to its Anaheim, Calif., parks, up from just a quarter previously. The success comes on the heels of the June unveiling of a $1 billion-plus overhaul that included the addition of...
Disney's movie studio was behind much of the earnings gain as studio profit surged to $313 million from $49 million a year ago, backed by upbeat ticket sales to movies like "The Avengers" and "Brave." However, revenue missed expectations as studio revenue was roughly flat at $1.63 billion, much less than the $1.77 billion analysts expected. Smaller revenue from DVD and Blu-ray disc sales than a year ago was a key factor in the miss.
CEO Bob Iger said attendance at Disney California Adventure accounted for about half of the visits to its Anaheim, Calif., parks, up from just a quarter previously. The success comes on the heels of the June unveiling of a $1 billion-plus overhaul that included the addition of...
- 8/8/2012
- by AP
- Huffington Post
Despite the disaster that was "John Carter," writer-director Andrew Stanton may take the reins on the sequel to his hugely successful "Finding Nemo," according to Deadline. Stanton has been integral to the success of Disney/Pixar, from writing "Toy Story," among other things, to directing Oscar-winning "Finding Nemo" (2003) and "Wall-e" (2008). The box office and critical success of those films helped Stanton to land the ambitious misfire "John Carter," which proved a $200 million write-off for Disney, led to the sacking of neophyte studio head Rich Ross and did nothing to help the director's status in live-action territory. There's no reason to be worried about Stanton within John Lasseter's Disney/Pixar universe however; they are keen on Stanton's concept for "Finding Nemo 2," which is a cash cow waiting to be milked. The first made over $860 million worldwide.
- 7/17/2012
- by Sophia Savage
- Thompson on Hollywood
Does anyone remember how dire things seemed for the Walt Disney Company just a few months ago? The studio took a huge loss with March's "John Carter," which lead to the ouster of Disney Studios Chairman Rich Ross. Boy have things turned around. "The Avengers" has pretty much wiped the competition on the floor with a jaw-dropping $1.4 billion worldwide. Friday, Disney received another gift as Pixar's "Brave" debuted to a stellar $24.5 million. The positively-reviewed animated adventure opened on a gigantic 4,164 screens and over 2,700 are them are screening it in 3D which means higher ticket prices. Still, a...
- 6/23/2012
- by Gregory Ellwood
- Hitfix
There has been a lot of drama on the Disney lot this year and not all of it has been in front of the camera. The most obvious starting point was the failure of John Carter to live up to expectation and its massive budget. The studio ended up announcing an expected operating loss of approximately $200 million to its stockholders because of that film, followed shortly after by the sacking of studio chief Rich Ross. There was a lot of finger pointing going around about who was to blame for the demise of both John Carter and Ross. A good portion of which centered on Pixar wunderkind Andrew Stanton -- directing his first live action film from a script he co-wrote with fellow Pixar alum Mark Andrews -- and Ross predecessor Dick Cook and John Lasseter. The John Carter debacle was mitigated in early May when The Avengers, the first...
- 6/21/2012
- by Bill Cody
- Rope of Silicon
He's the senior executive behind The Dark Knight and the Harry Potter films, currently working on The Hobbit, but soon Warner Bros' Alan Horn will have a new job - as chair of Disney studios. He'll be replacing Rich Ross, whose exit last month has been associated with the expensive failure of John Carter at the box office.
The studio, which had been struggling after several recent productions failed to do as well as expected, is now back on the up-and-up after Avengers Assemble became one of the most successful films of all time. Shares are up a further 1% since the announcement of Horn's appointment.
"I’m incredibly excited about joining The Walt Disney Company, one of the most iconic and beloved entertainment companies in the world," said Horn in a statement. "I love the motion picture business and look forward to making a contribution as part of Bob Iger’s.
The studio, which had been struggling after several recent productions failed to do as well as expected, is now back on the up-and-up after Avengers Assemble became one of the most successful films of all time. Shares are up a further 1% since the announcement of Horn's appointment.
"I’m incredibly excited about joining The Walt Disney Company, one of the most iconic and beloved entertainment companies in the world," said Horn in a statement. "I love the motion picture business and look forward to making a contribution as part of Bob Iger’s.
- 6/1/2012
- by Jennie Kermode
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Alan Horn is set to replace Rich Ross as chairman of the Walt Disney Studios from June 11th reports Variety.
Disney chief Bob Iger made the announcement Thursday afternoon, one that so far has met with a good response. Horn served as COO of Warner Bros. Entertainment for twelve years, a conservative leader who is a familiar face in the studio system and filmmaker-friendly - quite different to the outgoing Ross whose TV background made him something of an outsider.
The 69-year-old Horn is also a better fit for the studio's mandate of focusing on global day-and-date tentpole family properties that will benefit the rest of the company's divisions through TV shows, video games, music, merchandise, web properties and theme park rides.
Before Warners, Horn co-founded Castle Rock Entertainment and served as president and COO of 20th Century Fox Film Corporation. Horn said he has no initial plans to overhaul...
Disney chief Bob Iger made the announcement Thursday afternoon, one that so far has met with a good response. Horn served as COO of Warner Bros. Entertainment for twelve years, a conservative leader who is a familiar face in the studio system and filmmaker-friendly - quite different to the outgoing Ross whose TV background made him something of an outsider.
The 69-year-old Horn is also a better fit for the studio's mandate of focusing on global day-and-date tentpole family properties that will benefit the rest of the company's divisions through TV shows, video games, music, merchandise, web properties and theme park rides.
Before Warners, Horn co-founded Castle Rock Entertainment and served as president and COO of 20th Century Fox Film Corporation. Horn said he has no initial plans to overhaul...
- 6/1/2012
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Can new Disney Studios chief Alan Horn help heal a battered Magic Kingdom? "I fully expect to be a stabilizing force," Horn told TheWrap. "All I want to do is be helpful and keep the waters as calm as they can be." The veteran film executive tapped Thursday as chairman of Disney's movie studio has been tasked with steadying a company rocked by the ouster of Rich Ross, whose tenure lasted less than three years and was marked by a series of costly flops like "John Carter." Also read: Disney Chooses Alan Horn as...
- 6/1/2012
- by Brent Lang
- The Wrap
Disney has selected the man to replace the ousted Rich Ross (whose name's superficial resemblance to rapper Rick Ross and all attendant bawse jokes were already covered here), with the studio picking Castle Rock co-founder and former Warner Bros. president Alan Horn as the man to approve all the company's future family entertainment-creating algorithms, and take the public blame for any giant, John Carter-caliber failures. Of course, the hope is that he won't have to do that last thing: As the official PR spin notes, Horn has overseen "some of the world's most successful entertainment ...
- 5/31/2012
- avclub.com
Executives on and off the Disney lot are welcoming the news that Alan Horn has been named chairman of the company's film studio. Reaction to Horn's appointment Thursday by Disney CEO Bob Iger to succeed ousted executive Rich Ross has been overwhelmingly positive, according to scores of insiders polled by The Hollywood Reporter. The most frequent sentiment coming from inside the studio is that with Horn at the helm, movie production -- which had been significantly curtailed under Ross -- will almost certainly go up. The former Warner Bros. president is considered a steady, if safe, film executive with excellent talent
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- 5/31/2012
- by Borys Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Los Angeles -- The Walt Disney Co. said Thursday that it hired former president of Warner Bros. Entertainment, Alan Horn, to lead its movie studio as chairman, in a personnel move that attempts to right the wrongs that led to blockbuster bomb "John Carter."
Horn oversaw the hugely successful runs of the "Harry Potter" and "The Dark Knight" movies at Warner Bros. and is one of the highest-profile executives in Hollywood. Horn had stepped down at Warner Bros. in April 2011 and had a consulting agreement through 2013. He's also credited as a producer on the upcoming "Hobbit" movies.
Horn starts at Disney on June 11, just under two months after former chairman Rich Ross stepped down in a move widely seen as taking responsibility for "John Carter," the science-fiction movie set on Mars which caused an epic $200 million write-off for Disney.
Horn will oversee worldwide production, distribution and marketing for live action and animated films from Disney,...
Horn oversaw the hugely successful runs of the "Harry Potter" and "The Dark Knight" movies at Warner Bros. and is one of the highest-profile executives in Hollywood. Horn had stepped down at Warner Bros. in April 2011 and had a consulting agreement through 2013. He's also credited as a producer on the upcoming "Hobbit" movies.
Horn starts at Disney on June 11, just under two months after former chairman Rich Ross stepped down in a move widely seen as taking responsibility for "John Carter," the science-fiction movie set on Mars which caused an epic $200 million write-off for Disney.
Horn will oversee worldwide production, distribution and marketing for live action and animated films from Disney,...
- 5/31/2012
- by AP
- Huffington Post
Following the disappointing box office numbers for large-scale live-action films like John Carter and Tron Legacy, former Disney executive Rich Ross decided to step down from his post, opening up a gap for the studio in the position of Chairman. Since Ross' resignation on April 20th, the industry has been wondering who Disney would turn to as man or woman that would help shape the studio's future. Now it would seem they have found their guy. THR reports that Alan Horn has been selected by Disney to become the new studio Chairman. An official announcement about the has been sent out by Bob Iger, who is the CEO of the company, making the deal official. Horn is the former President & COO of Warner Bros. Entertainment, who oversaw incredibly successful franchises like the Harry Potter series, and its assumed that he was chosen because of his rich amount of experience ( ...
- 5/31/2012
- cinemablend.com
Alan Horn has been named the new chairman of Walt Disney Studios, the company said Thursday. The former Warner Bros. chief will oversee production, distribution and marketing for Disney, Pixar and Marvel, as well as marketing and distribution for DreamWorks films released under Touchstone Pictures. In Horn, a prominent executive steeped in film studio experience, Disney has turned the page on its disastrous Rich Ross experiment. When Ross, the former head of Disney's television arm, was picked to replace Dick Cook in 2009, he was meant to transform the studio into a brand...
- 5/31/2012
- by Lucas Shaw
- The Wrap
Alan Horn, the former president and COO of Warner Bros. Entertainment, has been named the chairman of Walt Disney Studios. The decision was announced today by Walt Disney Company chairman and CEO Bob Iger, just over a month after former Disney studio chief Rich Ross resigned in the wake of John Carter’s box office belly flop, which will cost the company $200 million.
Unlike Ross, a former Disney Channel exec who had little movie experience when he took the job in October of 2009, Horn has decades of experience presiding over lucrative movie franchises like Harry Potter, the Oceans films, and...
Unlike Ross, a former Disney Channel exec who had little movie experience when he took the job in October of 2009, Horn has decades of experience presiding over lucrative movie franchises like Harry Potter, the Oceans films, and...
- 5/31/2012
- by Adam B. Vary
- EW - Inside Movies
Former Warner Bros. chief Alan Horn has been named Chairman of The Walt Disney Studios. The news was announced today by Disney Chairman and CEO Bob Iger. The change will take place almost instantly, with Horn moving into the Mouse House on June 11. There, he'll oversee worldwide operations, including production, distribution and marketing for all the company's films (that means Disney, Pixar and Marvel, coming off the white-hot box office juggernaut "The Avengers") and for DreamWorks Studios titles distributed by Disney's Touchstone Pictures banner. News of the switch comes just a month after former Disney topper Rich Ross (whose background was in...
- 5/31/2012
- by Dave Lewis
- Hitfix
Former Warner Bros. chief Alan Horn is the choice to run Disney Studios, a source tells The Hollywood Reporter. The source says the announcement will be made Thursday afternoon by Disney CEO Bob Iger. The move comes about a month after Disney's former top film executive Rich Ross resigned amid pressure over the big-budget flop John Carter. The selection of Horn signals that Iger wants an experienced film executive running Disney's movie studio after the experiment with Ross, who came from Disney's TV unit, failed. Horn guided Warner Bros. through a decade of success, most notably with the
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- 5/31/2012
- by Kim Masters
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Bob Iger on Wednesday called Disney California Adventure Park an “eyesore,” criticized Dish Network for its ad-skipping DVR and vowed to find a studio team that can release about a half-dozen hit films a year that aren’t either animated or star Marvel superheroes. Story: What Rich Ross' Exit Means for Disney and CEO Bob Iger (Analysis) The Disney CEO didn’t hint at who he is considering as a replacement for Rich Ross, who resigned his chairmanship of the film studio in April, but he reiterated a desire to release only two to three Pixar and animated
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- 5/30/2012
- by Paul Bond
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Believe it or not, 2012 will be a redefining year for Walt Disney Studios. Two massive films, John Carter and The Avengers, performed on the completely opposite ends of the box office spectrum. When that happens at one studio, it gives executives pause to assess how they can better position themselves in the future. With Disney chairman Rich Ross stepping down, CEO Bob Iger laid the message out clearly for the future of the studio. Speaking at a recent conference, Iger told those in...
- 5/30/2012
- by Alex Maidy
- JoBlo.com
Disney may currently have one of the biggest films of all time still dominating the box office, but the studio has had a rocky last few years. Pricey franchise false starts like Tron: Legacy, Prince of Persia, and John Carter all bled money and the consequences of those high profile underperformers are still reverberating around the studio, the biggest rumbling being the resignation of studio head Rich Ross. It now looks like the loss of Ross (who also greenlit The Avengers, though he was ousted before it went bonanza) isn’t where Disney’s newfound fiscal responsibility ends: The Hollywood Reporter recently broke news the studio has put Order of the Seven (Aka Snow and the Seven) on indefinite ice. Saoirse Ronan (who kicked all kinds of ass in Hanna...
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- 5/23/2012
- by Peter Hall
- Movies.com
It seems like "Snow White and the Huntsman" and "Mirror Mirror" won the battle of the Snow White movies. Disney had been developing their own dark take on the beloved fairy tale called "The Order of the Seven," but new reports say that they have put the project on hold indefinitely.
The Hollywood Reporter has the news, citing the movie's large budget as a reason for the cancellation. Apparently after the deemed box office failures of Disney's "John Carter" and Universal's "Battleship" -- both with budgets over $200 million -- Disney has decided to reassess their big tentpole movies.
"The Order of the Seven" was planned to be a Hong Kong-set spin on the classic Snow White tale starring Saoirse Ronan and being directed by first timer Michael Gracey. The kung fu flick would follow a young woman who escapes her wicked stepmother and turns to an international band of seven warriors to protect her.
The Hollywood Reporter has the news, citing the movie's large budget as a reason for the cancellation. Apparently after the deemed box office failures of Disney's "John Carter" and Universal's "Battleship" -- both with budgets over $200 million -- Disney has decided to reassess their big tentpole movies.
"The Order of the Seven" was planned to be a Hong Kong-set spin on the classic Snow White tale starring Saoirse Ronan and being directed by first timer Michael Gracey. The kung fu flick would follow a young woman who escapes her wicked stepmother and turns to an international band of seven warriors to protect her.
- 5/23/2012
- by Terri Schwartz
- MTV Movies Blog
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