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Alan Bergman to Succeed Alan Horn as Disney Studios Chairman

Published Mon, 21 Dec 2020 13:07:55 -0600

Another major movie has happened over at Disney in terms of its executives. Earlier this year, Bob Chapek took over as CEO of Disney from Bob Iger. To keep things working well, and was probably a good idea considering the pandemic really started to kick in a month later, Iger would stay around and be involved with the process as an executive chairman with a focus on the creative side of things. For the second time in 2020, Disney is making a second change like that, and not just because these two guys have the same first name. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Alan Horn will step down as Walt Disney Studios chairman, and Alan Bergman will replace him. Much like Iger, Horn will stay on and retain his role as chief creative officer.

"The Walt Disney Studios' achievements under the leadership of Alan Horn and Alan Bergman have been nothing short of extraordinary," Chapek said in Monday's statement. "Our studios are unmatched in their ability to create incredible cinematic experiences, and with this new structure, we are ensuring a vital continuity of leadership."

Bergman and Horn have been co-chairman since spring 2019, so as THR notes, this isn't exactly a big surprise. Horn has been in the business for over fifty years, and it is largely thanks to Iger and Horn that Disney owns most of your favorite things now. Bergman and Horn will report to Chapek, and the various studio heads will report to Horn and Bergman on the various creative matters.

"I am grateful to take on the role of Chairman of the Studios as I believe deeply in our people, culture, and the work we do," Bergman said. "I am also thankful to Bob Iger and Alan Horn for their leadership and the trust they've placed in me over the years and to Bob Chapek for his continued support, especially during this challenging year."

Added Horn, "It has been an honor to lead The Walt Disney Studios over the past eight-plus years, and I'm so grateful not only to Bob Iger for making it possible in the first place but to the Studios team, whom I find endlessly inspiring – I hope they are all as proud of what we've been able to do together as I am," said Horn. "It has been an amazing run, and the time feels right to shift my focus solely to our enormous creative slate. As for our new Studios Chairman, Alan Bergman has been at my side since day one; he has been the best partner imaginable, and the team could be in no better hands."

The continued shifts at Disney aren't that surprising considering the last couple of years that the company has had. They bought Fox and Fox Searchlight, and they had to make the pivot to more streaming in 2020 due to the pandemic. The company is currently in a very weird place; its cruise line remains shuttered with no telling when they will open, most of the parks either never opened or had to close again, the lack of live sports made ESPN an even cash sink than it usually is, and most of their big tentpole movies had to be pushed to 2021. Disney+ is performing above expectations, but the next couple of years are going to be very interesting. We're likely looking at the next phase in the Disney machine and what direction they take now that they own all the things.

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