If everything had gone according to plan for Disney in the spring 2026 TV schedule, then Bachelor Nation fans would already be a week into Taylor Frankie Paul’s season of The Bachelorette on ABC and eagerly waiting for more from the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star. Everything definitely hasn’t gone according to plan, however, with ABC pulling Season 22 from primetime and allegedly losing a lot of money because of it. Now, a Disney fan on social media pointed out an interesting coincidence that puts a new spin on the situation from a corporate perspective.

The situation started last week, when a video went viral of Taylor Frankie Paul in a domestic altercation while a child was in the room. ABC wasted no time in pulling The Bachelorette from the schedule, just days before Season 22 had been set to premiere on the network and stream via a Hulu subscription. While ABC reportedly left the door open to bring the season back rather than cancelling it entirely, even former Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay was wondering how the franchise could “move forward” past what happened.

That may be a problem for new Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro to deal with, as one user on X (formerly known as Twitter) pointed out:

Oddly enough, while I certainly doubt there are any nefarious forces at work, the timeline does work out that Iger’s tenures as Disney boss do neatly avoid some major complications in the entertainment industry. The longtime CEO left the company in 2020 after his contract expired, with Bob Chapek named as his successor effective immediately in late February 2020, a.k.a. just weeks before the industry-wide production shutdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bob Chapek only lasted from 2020-2022, at which point he was removed by the Disney board and replaced by Bob Iger, who stayed for another four years through to March 2026. Then, as we learned during Disney’s 2026 shareholders meeting, Iger stepped down again to be replaced by Josh D’Amaro on March 18. The date that the whole Bachelorette controversy broke and required ABC and Disney to act ASAP? March 19.

Somehow, Bob Iger has managed to bow out of the job of Disney CEO just before major events that require swift action, and I can’t help but wonder how Bob Chapek and Josh D’Amaro reacted when they saw how quickly they’d be dealing with some crises. Chapek at least got a couple of weeks before it became clear that COVID would require industry-wide shutdowns; D’Amaro got a day before Taylor Frankie Paul’s video went viral, although he had been named as Iger’s successor before stepping into the CEO role on March 18.

Of course, the Disney CEO job does encompass much more than The Bachelorette for Josh D’Amaro, and he was quick to name something that Disney has but other movie studios don’t. There are also the parks to consider, not too long after former CEO Michael Eisner openly acknowledged that Disneyland and Disney World are too expensive. Plus, even if we’re only accounting for ABC among Disney’s TV platforms, there are renewals and cancellations to consider this spring.

For now, Bachelor Nation fans can only wait and see if Taylor Frankie Paul’s season will ever see the light of day in any form, or if the franchise will be off the air until a new season of The Bachelor and/or Bachelor in Paradise can be produced.

The Walt Disney Company has been playing its own game of Succession in recent months, and every day we’re getting a little bit closer to when a major change at one of the biggest entertainment companies in the world will take place. Bob Iger will step down as CEO (again) at the end of 2026, but who will replace him is still a major question.

We’ve been told by the Board of Directors at The Walt Disney Company that a decision on a new CEO will come in early 2026, and that person will work closely with Iger over the next several months before taking the reins themselves. While there have been reports that Disney has looked outside the company for potential CEO material, the general understanding has been that the top candidates are all top executives within Disney.

Disney Experiences Head Josh D’Amaro And Disney Studio Co-Head Dana Walden Are Reportedly In A Race For Bob Iger's Job

A new report from Bloomberg suggests that of the four internal candidates expected to vie for top job, Walt Disney Studios co-heads Dana Walden and Alan Bergman, Disney Experiences chief Josh D’Amaro, and ESPN head Jimmy Pitaro, it is now a “two horse race” with D’Amaro and Walden being front runners and the other two currently seen as “long shots” according to internal sources.

This isn’t the first time it’s been suggested that D’Amaro and Walden are the top contenders. The pair does seem to rise to the top of any discussion on the topic of the next CEO. What’s potentially more interesting is that, according to this report, one of them is a clear frontrunner.

Disney’s Next CEO May Come From The Same Place As The Last CEO

While the Bloomberg report claims that Bob Iger recently “bristled” at the idea that Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro is his likely successor, claiming that no decision has been made, and that he’s not part of the succession committee’s planning, it’s suggested nonetheless that D’Amaro looks like the “CEO in waiting.”

Josh D’Amaro is absolutely a qualified individual, having led Disney’s Experiences division, the most regularly profitable part of the Walt Disney Company, ever since the former head, Bob Chapek, was elevated to CEO himself. But then, that’s sort of the reason that D’Amaro’s alleged frontrunner status surprises me.

The last time that the head of Disney’s Experiences division was made CEO, things didn’t go so well. That said, Chapek and D’Amaro are absolutely different individuals by all accounts. D’Amaro is a people person who gets along with everybody, something that could not be said of Chapek. However, because of the difficulties that Disney had under Chapek, D’Amaro will have a lot of extra work to do to prove that somebody coming from his part of the company can do the job.

Fair or not, Chapek was perceived as somebody who understood the dollars and sense of Disney, but he struggled when dealing with the studio side of the company. That fact was made most obvious when Scarlett Johansson sued Disney over her compensation surrounding the decision to release the Black Widow movie straight to Disney+.

That’s not to say D’Amaro can’t handle these things better than his predecessor, but there will almost certainly be a perception of him if he takes the job because of what happened before, and perception plays a strong role in things that are quite important to Disney, like its stock price.

Whatever way Disney goes, the incoming CEO will have to prove themselves in some way that they hadn’t before. Dana Walden certainly doesn’t know the theme park business the way D’Amaro does, just as he will have to learn about the studio. Either choice has the potential to be great, but also the potential to be another Bob Chapek situation. I don’t envy the people tasked with making this monumental decision.

The biggest job in entertainment is going to be vacant in a little over two years. Bob Iger is set to step down, again, as the CEO of The Walt Disney Company at the end of 2026. Who the next CEO of the company could be is far from clear. There are four different strong candidates who work at the House of Mouse right now that are reportedly in the running, but it’s possible that none of them could end up getting the job.

It's previously been reported that inside Disney, the CEO succession battle is between ESPN chief Jim Pitaro, Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D'Amato, and the co-heads of Walt Disney Studios, Dana Walden and Alan Horn. However, A report in the Wall Street Journal this morning confirms something that had been suspected, that the Disney Board of Directors is considering possible candidates from outside of TWDC. Electronic Arts CEO Andrew Wilson has been named specifically as a potential choice.

As a big Disney fan, and a frequent theme park visitor, I’m pretty strongly invested in this CEO search, and while I understand there’s potential value in bringing somebody in from the outside, I have some serious concerns.

I Want A CEO Who Understands Theme Parks, Movies And Merch As Well As How They're Supposed To Work Together

Disney is a multi-headed hydra that's quite different from most entertainment companies. It’s a movie studio and also a theme park company. A massive chunk of its revenue comes not from either of those, but from the merchandise that’s attached to both of them. There’s simply no external candidate who is going to have the right mix of experience to understand how it all works, because nobody does it like Disney.

To be fair, one of the major arguments against some of Disney’s internal candidates is that they are missing some of that knowledge, too. Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro has been part of the theme park business for years, but he certainly isn’t an expert on the studio side. It was one of the big problems that former CEO Bob Chapek had when he made the move from Parks to CEO (as evidenced by the since-settled Black Widow lawsuit). Likewise, Disney Studio co-chair Dana Walden has strong relationships within Hollywood but isn’t a theme park expert.

If those issues are potentially disqualifying for those inside the conglomerate, any external candidate is going to have even bigger downsides. Those who work there, even if there are things they don’t know, still understand how the company works and how the different pieces work together.

Disney Doesn’t Need New Blood (At The Moment)

The Walt Disney Company has only brought in one CEO from the outside in the company’s history. Michael Eisner was hired from his job at Paramount specifically because Disney’s studio was in trouble and needed new ideas. It was clear that “business as usual” at Disney wasn’t working at the time.

However, the mega corporation doesn’t have that problem right now. The top two box office movies from the 2024 movie schedule are both from the House of Mouse, and they’ve each made a billion dollars. Disney’s theme parks continue to dominate and, with the expansion plans at Disneyland and Disney World already announced, things will surely grow from here.

Bringing in somebody new from the outside now could very well bring fresh ideas the business needs, but it could just as easily break what isn't broken.

I Want A CEO Who Cares About Disney As Much As I Do

Arguably the biggest problem with an external candidate is that they’re not likely to come into the job with a passion for all things Disney. While this quality can't exactly be measured, I truly believe this matters as much as any knowledge about running movie studios or theme parks.

Disney is unlike other entertainment companies not simply because it owns a dozen theme parks, but because the name Disney matters to the average consumer in a way that few other brands matter. The company's former CEOs have been very protective of the brand name because many who have held the role over the years knew Walt Disney personally.

Even those that never met him understood that they were following in his footsteps. Listen to Michael Eisner or Bob Iger talk, and you can hear their passion for Disney. It's not just that they want it be successful, they want it to be Disney.

It’s not impossible that a new CEO from the outside won’t become passionate about Disney, that certainly happened with Michael Eisner, who drank the Kool-Aid (ate the Dole Whip?) very quickly. However, the more likely scenario is that somebody who has never worked for Disney will treat it like it’s just any other company, which it isn’t. And it's a big risk.

That's not to say that every internal Disney candidate is a better option here. Dana Walden is a relatively recent addition to Disney, having come over as part of the Fox merger. How much she has embraced all things Disney is far from clear. ESPN is practically an island unto itself, so how much Chairman James Pitaro even feels like he works for the Mouse House is unknown.

Disney doesn't need to remain stagnant. In fact, it absolutely should not. However, any new CEO is going to make big changes simply because they are different people. What Disney is, matters.

The Walt Disney Company is one of the largest, and most prestigious companies in all of media. As a result, being the CEO who leads the house that Walt built is a job that one can imagine a lot of people would love to have. Having said that, finding somebody who is right for that job has been a surprisingly difficult affair. And according to Disney, it will be more than a year before we know who the next Disney CEO will be.

When Bob Iger returned to lead Disney following Bob Chapek’s brief run as CEO, it was made clear from the outset that Iger’s tenure would be brief, with the primary focus being finding the right successor. Today Disney announced that James P. Gorman, the executive chairman of Morgan Stanley, who is currently leading the Disney succession committee, would be taking over as Chairman of the Board of Directors on January 2, 2025. In addition, the committee does not expect to name a successor until early 2026.

2026 Seems Too Late For Disney To Name a New CEO

It’s been just under two years since the night that shocked the entertainment industry when it was announced that Bob Chapek was out as CEO of Disney and Bob Iger was returning to the role. From the beginning, it was made clear that the feeling was that the decision to give the CEO role to Chapek had been a mistake and that Iger’s main focus would be holding down the fort while a new successor was chosen.

Bob Iger’s current contract runs through the end of 2026. It’s always possible that Iger will leave early once a new CEO is named, but the more likely scenario is that once the choice is made, the final months of Iger’s time will be spent showing the ropes to the new CEO. All signs currently point to the new CEO coming from inside Disney with Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro and Disney Studio co-head DanaWalden widely seen as the top candidates.

The problem I see with waiting more than a year is that a lot can happen in that time. If the race for CEO is truly between D’Amaro and Walden, any other company looking for a CEO might consider either of them and if another organization comes along with a deal too good to turn down, Disney could lose their best options if they wait too long to make a deal.

There’s an argument to be made that the only reason Bob Chapek was chosen as CEO in 2020 was because he was the only one left. Several others who likely would have been in the running, including former Disney COO Tom Staggs, had left the company for greener pastures previously. The longer the CEO search takes, the more likely something like that could happen again.

Could Disney’s Next CEO Come From Outside The Company?

Of course, it’s possible the extended timeline could mean that Disney isn’t too worried about its prospective candidates from inside the company leaving. That could be because Disney is seriously considering candidates from outside. If their top candidates are already CEOs elsewhere, there will be less concern that they won’t be available a year from now.

A new Disney CEO from outside Disney would be a big deal. Only once in Disney's more than 100-year history has the CEO come from outside. Michael Eisner became Disney's CEO after being the President of Paramount in 1984. While he would leave the role in 2005 after being forced out, Eisner’s experience outside the company may have also been a tremendous benefit. Eisner did a lot of great things for Disney.

Whatever happens, a lot of eyes will be on the Disney CEO job over the next year and a bit. A lot could happen in that time. Perhaps the next Disney CEO is a name that hasn’t even been suggested yet. Whoever the next CEO will be, we can stop worrying about that question for the next year because the answer isn’t coming soon.

It’s been over three years since Lucasfilm cut ties with Gina Carano due to controversial social media posts shared by the MMA fighter-turned-actress. After discussing her experiences with the Disney-owned company over the next several years, Carano filed suit against the House of Mouse in February 2024. The legal entanglement is ongoing, with both sides sharing arguments for their specific cases. Now, it would appear that the situation could take a significant turn ahead of the trial scheduled for next year. That’s because the possibility of Carano’s ex-co-star Pedro Pascal and other notable individuals testifying now seems to be on the table.

Both Gina Carano and Lucasfilm recently filed legal documents, which name a host of major players from Disney as potential witnesses who could testify in court. On the Star Wars side of this, Din Djarin actor Pedro Pascal, series creator Jon Favreau, LF president Kathleeen and publicity chief Lynnne Hale were all named. Per THR, other notable individuals on that list include former Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Chapek and TV personality Bear Gryllis, who hosted Carano for an episode of his reality series, Running Wild.

Each of the individuals mentioned in the filings had some kind of professional and/or personal connection to the ex-Cara Dune actress. Jon Favreau and Kathleen Kennedy were her employers while she starred on The Mandalorian (which has been a hit with Disney+ subscription holders). And, of course, she and the previously Djarin portrayer collaborated during the show’s first two seasons. Finally, Bob Chapek was overseeing the House of Mouse at the time of the Fast & Furious 6 alum’s dismissal.

The trade also reports that the legal documents share details regarding the points of contention in the case. One of them is whether Gina Carano was technically under contract when she was let go from the job in February 2021. There’s also the matter of whether Carano received equal treatment compared to her male co-stars when it came to her social media activities. (Carano herself once opened up about her polarizing presence on the Internet.)

As it stands, Ms. Carano is suing Disney and Lucasfilm for alleged discrimination and wrongful termination. On top of that, she’s seeking $75,000 in punitive damages and wants a court order that would force her former employers to recast her on the Star Wars show. Carano’s lawsuit is being helped along by businessman Elon Musk, who’s funding it with the help of X’s chief of business operations, Joe Benarroch. The plaintiff is arguing that she was fired for “voicing right-wing opinions on social media.” She appears to view that as a double standard due to Pascal and some of her other peers sharing left-leaning views online.

Disney fired back at the suit after it was filed, arguing that it was in the corporation’s First Amendment rights to “dissociate its own artistic message from Carano's outspoken 'political beliefs.'” Legal documents also seemed to suggest that the company felt compelled to finally cut ties with Carano after she shared a post that appeared to compare being rebuked for one’s political leanings to the persecution of Jewish people during the Holocaust.

Gina Carano has opened up about the suit since it was filed and has been real about how “embarrassing” it is to be going through such a public matter with her ex-colleagues. Additionally, Carano called out the media following reports that she wanted to rejoin The Mandalorian amid the lawsuit. Whether or not any of that will come to pass remains to be seen. All that can be said right now is that Carano is currently set to receive her day in court on September 25, 2025 and, ahead of that date, it’ll be known if Pedro Pascal and others will indeed be called to testify.

Bob Iger had planned to retire several times before he finally passed the title of CEO of The Walt Disney Company to Bob Chapek. While the handover took place during a difficult time, the beginning of the pandemic, it seemed like the company knew its path forward, but that, it would seem could not be further from the truth. Chepek spent less than three years in the job as CEO, and it appears that an Oogie Boogie Bash at Disneyland, and what Chapek called “Eeyore” employees, had a lot to do with why.

A new report from CNBC claims to have spoken to more than two dozen people about the period at Disney surrounding Chapek becoming CEO, while former CEO Bob Iger was Executive Chairman, and during Chapek’s tenure in the role, and subsequent removal and replacement by a returning Iger. Among its claims is that Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow lawsuit was a major point of contention between Iger and Chapek. 

We already knew that a November 2022 quarterly earnings call was a major factor in Chapek’s removal, but we now appear to have some very specific details. On that quarterly earnings call, we heard a very positive Bob Chapek, despite the fact that quarterly losses for Disney+ were significant, more than double the same quarter a year earlier, and Disney’s bottom line financials were way off of Wall Street Expectations. There have been reports that Chapek shifted some costs from Disney+ shows over to Disney Channel to try and make the numbers look better. Disney is now facing multiple lawsuits from investors over this issue.

Chapek’s position of positivity wasn’t just a show for Wall Street apparently. He really did believe things were in better shape than others at Disney. Chapek reportedly started calling those with a more negative outlook “Eeyores” in reference to Winnie the Pooh’s perpetually downtrodden donkey friend.

When the Earnings Call did happen, It was Disney’s then-CFO Christine McCarthy who took particular exception to Chapek’s performance. Rather than discussing the numbers in a frank way, Chapek celebrated the way tickets to Disneyland’s Halloween event, Oogie Boogie Bash had sold. 

It was following this earnings call that the wheels came off the Chapek bus. Disney’s share price dropped, and activist investor Nelson Peltz began his campaign to get a seat on the Disney board. The Disney board then began to speak to the company’s division heads, who reportedly all stated they did not support Chapek anymore, and the call to Iger went out shortly thereafter.

It was reportedly Disney’s head of TV Dana Walden who first reached out to Iger to see if a return to the CEO role was possible for Iger. On November 12 the two went for a walk and Iger said he was willing to consider it. On November 19, Susan Rice, the Chairman of the Board, called Iger and offered him the job. 

Chapek has been largely out of the spotlight since leaving Disney, so it seems this battle is over. But Disney is still trying to find its path forward, dealing with a struggling stock price, and trying to get costs under control. It seems unlikely we've heard the last of the backroom chaos at Disney.

For 100 years The Walt Disney Company has been a stalwart of the entertainment industry. Virtually since the day Mickey Mouse was born, the company has been reliably successful, with few bumps in the road. But the last few years have been unusual for the amount of corporate upheaval, with CEO Bob Iger, first leaving, then returning to replace the CEO that replaced him. A new report claims there were several reasons Iger made the decision to return, but one surrounded Scarlett Johansson’s infamous Black Widow lawsuit.

Back during the pandemic, Disney made the decision to release Black Widow and a number of other titles simultaneously in theaters-- as well as on Disney Plus as a Premiere Access title. This means it had an additional cost beyond the subscription required for viewing. The problem was that Johansson’s contract was tied to an exclusive box office release, and so she sued.

A new report from CNBC dives pretty deep into the battle at the top of Disney between Bobs Iger and Chapek, and it says that the Johansson situation was a big issue between them. It seems that part of the reason that the whole thing made it to the lawsuit stage was that each Bob thought it should be the other one’s problem. Chapek felt it was an issue with creative talent, which was the area Iger was supposed to be handling as Executive Chairman. Iger saw it as a contract dispute, and thus something Chapek should deal with as CEO.

Following the lawsuit, the story says there was a virtual meeting in which Bob Iger was in attendance, but did not speak. Iger apparently thought the meeting was “amateur hour” and a “meeting run by children” as there were far too many people giving input on how to handle the situation. 

This feeling that each had that the other should be taking point apparently extended to how Disney handled the lawsuit in its earliest days. Apparently the initial response from Disney, which accused Scarlett Johansson of “a callous disregard for the horrific and prolonged global effects of the Covid-19 pandemic” was a statement that sources claim neither Chapek nor Iger was in favor of. But neither objected to the language of the statement, because each felt the other should be in charge of the problem.

The report indicates that Bob Iger had been questioning Chapek’s leadership abilities almost as soon as he was named the CEO of Disney. Iger himself reportedly feels now that he mistook Chapek’s operational capabilities for leadership qualities. He certainly wouldn’t be the first person to promote somebody past the area where their skills are best utilized. 

Scarlett Johansson and Disney eventually settled the lawsuit, but clearly, the damage from it would go far beyond whatever it cost Disney in dollars. With Iger back at the help some internal issues may have been quelled, but it's still too early to tell what the long-term outlook is for the Mouse House.

Bob Chapek’s era as the CEO of The Walt Disney Company has been over now for several months. But his legacy, for better or worse, is far from over. Chapek, along with his replacement current CEO Bob Iger, have both been named in a brand new lawsuit being brought by a Disney stockholder over the way Disney had previously been reporting profits and losses regarding Disney+.

Following the somewhat surprising exit of Bob Chapek, it had been reported that one of the reasons that the Disney board had made a move to replace the CEO was a potentially questionable decision to premiere some Disney+ original content on Disney Channel prior to the show being moved to the streamer. The idea, as reported at the time, was that by broadcasting the show there first various associated costs for that shot could be moved to the Disney Channel portion of the balance sheet. This would shrink the costs, and therefore the losses, of Disney+.

At least one lawsuit by Disney stockholders over this same issue has already been filed in California, but now Deadline reports that New Jersey-based Stourbridge Investments, a Disney shareholder, has filed its own suit over the same set of practices. 

Both Bobs (Iger and Chapek) are named, along with former Disney CFO Christine McCarthy, the rest of the Disney Board of Directors, and Kareem Daniel, the former head of Disney's Media and Entertainment Division. Daniel was fired within the first 24 hours of Iger retaking control of the company and the DMED organization has been restructured out of existence. Interestingly, the lawsuit is actually filed on behalf of Disney the company, as it claims the actions of the various individuals have harmed the company they all work for.

Disney+ has been a significant money loser for Disney since its inception. The company was up front that it was not expecting the streaming side of the company for a few years, but the losses that came in 2022 were significant. In November 2022 Chapek was replaced as CEO by the man he had replaced, Bob Iger. It was following this that the news of the alleged Disney+/Disney Channel financial moves became public. The Wall Street Journal reported that it was one of the reasons McCarthy began to reach out to Iger to see if his return as CEO was possible.

Since returning, Bob Iger has been on a cost-cutting spree. In addition to 7,000 Disney Cast Member layoffs, a lot of the attempts to find savings have been regarding Disney+, with content being pulled from the service and a lot of the Chapek-era plans to spend a great deal more on original content being significantly curtailed.

Lawsuits and Disney go hand in hand. At any given time the company is dealing with suits over injuries at Disneyland or lawsuits over alleged plagiarism over the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. However, right now the Walt Disney Company is involved in its highest-profile legal battle in years. It’s suing the state of Florida over the control of Walt Disney World property, and a suit by Florida is also expected to be filed against the company. And now, another big legal battle is brewing over Disney+.

Bob Chapek left his position as Walt Disney Company CEO under a cloud and in a hurry, but while Chapek may be gone, his legacy lives on. Specifically, his legacy as it regards the handling of Disney+, as Chapek is one of several defendants named in a lawsuit against the company which claims that DIsney made misleading statements about the state of DIsney+ to investors.

Deadline reports that Local 272 Labor Management Pension Fund has filed a lawsuit in the Central District of California claiming violations of securities law. The Walt Disney Company is named, as is Bob Chapek, CEO at the time of the alleged violation, CFO Christine McCarthy, and Kareem Daniel the former head of the Disney Media and Entertainment Division, which oversaw Disney+. 

The lawsuit claims that over a period of two years, from December 2020 to November 2022, Chapek and others made false or misleading statements regarding subscriber growth and earnings from Disney+. When Disney ultimately failed to miss quarterly targets, the stock price took a significant hit, leading to losses for shareholders. 

The November 2022 earnings call was a turning point for Disney when it was revealed that DIsney+ had seen a quarterly operating loss of nearly $1.5 billion. While Disney had always expected Disney+ to lose money in its early years, the losses there were seen as higher than expected, and the stock did take a serious hit.

It was shortly following that earnings call that Bob Chapek was ousted as CEO of Disney and Bob Iger was brought back into the fold. It’s since been reported that under Chapek, Disney has taken some potentially questionable actions, such as debuting Disney+ original shows on Disney Channel, as a way of offloading some of the production and marketing costs from Disney+ in order to make the streamer look better. The lawsuit includes this as a point of contention.

Following the return of Iger, Disney has undertaken a massive restructuring of its entertainment division, including significant Cast Member layoffs and restructuring, with an eye toward making IDsney+ more profitable. 

The lawsuit is looking for a lead plaintiff as part of a class action lawsuit that would include anybody who purchased Disney stock during the two-year period. In a statement, Disney said it planned to defend itself “vigorously in court.”

A vacation at Walt Disney World or Disneyland has never been an experience that anybody would call cheap, but in the last couple of years, prices have skyrocketed. From the addition of new added costs like Genie+ replacing the previously free FastPass to a massive across-the-board price increase on nearly everything at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World, prices have been growing at a faster rate than ever before. And it turns out even Disney CEO Bob Iger thinks the parks are getting too expensive.

Speaking at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media and Telecom Conference, former and current Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger admitted that the price increases at Disney Parks had become too aggressive. The CEO said he felt that accessibility was important in the parks, and while he also understands the importance of profitability, he believes Disney can be smarter about how it balances these two things. Iger said…

Iger's words are important because they really feel like a change of policy at Disney. It's not like people didn't realize that the parks were becoming a lot more expensive. Quite to the contrary, that seemed to be the point. The parks seemed to be intentionally pricing people out. 

Last October Disney Parks saw one of the most aggressive price increases in the modern era. A month later CEO Bob Chapek was out of a job and Bob Iger was back. Iger wasted little time in undoing some of Chapek’s biggest changes on the entertainment side, and then we saw the same thing start to happen in the parks.

In the time since Iger’s return, we’ve seen a handful of changes made at both American Disney resorts to make them more affordable, including free parking at Walt Disney World hotels for guests and earlier park hopping at the Disneyland Resort parks, making those park hopping tickets worth a bit more. Some price increases, like the lightsaber-building experience at Disneyland, were just simply rolled back.

Iger said Disney would “continue to adjust” its pricing in the future, so we should expect more changes in the coming months. The first batch of changes were well received, and if this truly does continue that’s a good thing. It’s not simply an issue of price but of value. The feeling from many was that Disney Parks were becoming more expensive, but without offering more for that money.

If this really isn’t the end of the price changes in order to add more value to the cost of a trip to Walt Disney World or Disneyland, then a lot of people will likely be very happy. The fact that Bob Iger seems to feel the same way as many of his customers about the price increases hopefully means that his decisions on how to fix the problem going forward will also make those people happy. 

When Bob Iger returned to the role of CEO of the Walt Disney Company it was clear that significant changes would be in store for the entire organization. Many top-level changes, like the dismantling of Bob Chapek’s DMED organization, were expected. But what’s been perhaps more surprising are the number of significant changes that have already taken place at the consumer level. First we saw changes to everything from parking fees at Walt Disney World resorts to park hopping rules, making trips to the resort much easier. And now Disneyland has done the nearly unthinkable, and actually removed recent price increases, making some add-on experiences more affordable.

Back in October, we saw a massive price increase nearly across the board for domestic Disney parks. Ticket prices went up, of course, as did prices on food and additional experiences, like droid and lightsaber building at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. However, as of now, the prices for those Star Wars experiences have seen prices drop back down, at least at Disneyland. The Lightsaber building is back down to $220 per blade, down from $250, and the Droid workshop is down to $100 from $120. Lightsaber building is still a bit more expensive than the $200 it was when Galaxy’s Edge opened at Disneyland in 2019.

As of this writing, pricing hasn’t changed at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Walt Disney World. It’s possible that the Disneyland experience saw a noticeable drop in revenue due to the price increases, but Walt Disney World did not, leading to the two resorts having different prices. But whatever the reason for Disneyland dropping the price, it’s incredible to see such a move made. We almost never see prices at Disney Parks go back down once they’ve gone up. 

This change, along with the addition of free hotel parking at Walt Disney World resorts, something that was available years ago but hasn’t been for some time, shows that there’s something of an effort to walk back some of the changes made under the previous regime, and to generally try to give guests at Disneyland and Walt Disney World more for their money. Many fans and vacations have found over the last few years that between price increases and added paid services, like the paid Genie+ replacing the free FastPass system. Parks were more expensive, but were adding little to no additional value for those added costs.

One hopes this won’t be the end of the changes at the consumer level. While a complete rollback of all recent price increases seems unlikely, some of these changes are happening without attention begging drawn to them, so it’s possible we could see more changes happen in the weekend and months to come. Bob Iger will host his first earnings results call since Iger’s return this week. There will certainly be questions for the new old boss, and possibly some new announcements of further changes.

The entertainment world was shaken at the end of last year when it was announced that Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Chapek, who had just had his contract renewed earlier that year, had been removed as head of the company. What was even more shocking was that he was being replaced by the man who he had initially replaced, former CEO Bob Iger. But if you were inclined to feel bad for Chapek, don’t worry too much, he’s doing fine.

According to a filing with the SEC, and reported by THR, Bob Chapek made $24.2 million in 2022 as CEO of the company. This was down slightly from what he earned in 2021, but in addition to that, he will receive somewhere in the neighborhood of $20 million more as part of his severance package from Disney. The exact value will depend on the value of the Disney stock, as a portion of the package (currently worth$12.4 million) is in stock and the rest is in cash.

So basically Bob Chapek is receiving something in the realm of what he likely would have earned if he’d been CEO in 2023, but without having to actually do the job, which is nice work if you can get it. At the very least, it will give the man plenty of time to decide what, if anything, he wants to do next. He probably doesn’t need to work another day in his life if he doesn’t want to, but at 63-years-old, he may still want to find ways to keep busy.

It’s not all that uncommon for a CEO leaving under such circumstances to receive an exit package of this nature. It was likely part of the negotiation when Chapek’s contract was renewed earlier in 2022. The contract was for three years, and if Chapek had remained longer, it’s possible the exit package would have been smaller, but he’d only been working under the new deal for a few months when he was shown the door. 

In the several weeks since Bob Iger resumed his role as CEO we’ve seen a few significant changes take place. The Disney Media and Entertainment division, a new organization within Disney created by Chapek, has been dismantled, and its head, Kareem Daniel, a top lieutenant of Chapek, has left Disney. 

We’ve also seen Disney Parks make a handful of small, but significant changes designed to give guests more value for their dollar, following significant price increases at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World. 

A lot of Disney news is likely to come from the SEC and the board room in the coming weeks. Activist investor Nelson Peltz is making a play for a seat on the Board of Directors, something the company is actively campaigning against. Disney’s Shareholders meeting will come later this year.  

It was late in the evening last Sunday when the Walt Disney Company dropped the bombshell that CEO Bob Chapek was out, and former CEO Bob Iger was back. In the week since then, a few more major moves have taken place, with some of Chapek’s top lieutenants following him out the door of the House of Mouse. But another hugely symbolic move has been taken at Castaway Cay, Disney’s private island, as Chepek’s name has been removed from the pump house. 

If you go on a Disney Cruise Lines vacation in the Bahamas you’ll visit Castaway Cay, a private island owned by Disney where the ship’s dock so guests can enjoy the beach and a number of other shore based activities. The island is very much what’d you’d expect to see as far as theming from the company that brought you Disneyland, and includes signage that celebrates some members of the Walt Disney Company in thematically appropriate ways, similar to Main Street U.S.A. windows at Disneyland and Magic Kingdom. A sign on a pump house (seen above) on the path from the boat previously celebrated “Master Shipbuilder” Bob Chapek, but as of one week after his firing, the sign, as shown by the DCLBlog, is now gone.

Prior to being the CEO of the Walt Disney Company, Bob Chapek was the head of the Parks, Experiences, and Products division of the company, which includes the Disney Cruise Line. The cruise line saw significant expansion under Chapek. The first of three new ships, the Disney Wish, hit the water earlier this year, a second ship, the Treasure, is currently under construction, and a third will follow that one in short order. The company also recently purchased a currently under construction ship from another company before Chapek left as CEO.

With Chapek no longer being part of the company, it seems the decision was made to remove references to him. Disney could have decided to leave the sign, as a testament to the contribution that Chapek did make during his time at the company, but it seems that ‘s not going to happen. For comparison, a different sign on the other side of the walkway which celebrated Bob Iger was always on display, even after he left the company two years ago.

Considering some recent reports that Bob Chapek may have made some questionable decisions during his time as CEO as it regards the P&L of Disney+, it’s possible that the company is looking to distance itself as far as possible from the man. Now in addition, to the Bob Iger sign, the only other major Disney name on display, is Josh D’Amaro, the current head of DPEP, considering hi sign is still around, it seems likely the man isn’t going anywhere either.

It’s the beginning of Bob Iger’s second week of his second term as the CEO of the Walt Disney Company and while the first week was remarkable due to steps taken, namely the firing of some top level executives close to the former CEO Bob Chapek, it looks like week two will be notable for what isn’t going to be happening. Namely, don’t expect Disney to make any major acquisitions or merge with Apple.

Bob Iger’s tenure as CEO the first time around was one of acquisition, Disney purchased Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, and 21st Century Fox all during Iger’s time, and considering the financially tenuous place that Disney was in at the time that Iger came in, many thought another acquisition might be in the future. More specifically, there were rumors of a possible merger with Apple.

Bob Iger and former Apple head Steve Jobs were both professional acquaintances and personal friends, and in Iger’s recent book, he suggested that if Jobs had remained healthy and in charge of Apple, a merger between the companies might have happened years ago. However, during a town hall with Disney employees today, (via Deadline) Iger shot down the idea that any sort of major acquisition or company merger is on the agenda, calling any claims to that effect “pure speculation.”

Iger did say that the hiring freeze that Bob Chapek put in place shortly before his departure was still in place. At least for now. It's unclear if the layoffs Chapek suggested were on the way are still on the table. While Iger was technically given the CEO gig a week ago Sunday evening, he reportedly referred to today as his “first day,” and he dropped a tweet of the Walt Disney Studios building, with holiday spirit, in celebration of his return. 

Another question that came up during the town hall that Iger did not address directly was the ongoing battle with the state of Florida. Iger stated that “inclusion, acceptance, and tolerance” were core to Disney storytelling, but did not otherwise step into the political minefield. 

The Reedy Creek Improvement District, which oversees the land covering Walt Disney World, is still scheduled to be dissolved next year, a move made by Florida after CEO Bob Chapek publicly stated opposition to the state bill known colloquially as “Don’t Say Gay.” The moving of Walt Disney Imagineering, which had been significantly delayed following the political firestorm, is still, at this point, scheduled to happen, though Iger did reportedly say he’s looking into it when he was asked.

At this point, one assumes that some significant changes of direction for The Walt Disney Company will happen. That’s the point of changing CEOs in the first place. But what will happen, and when it will happen, is still very much a question. 

It’s been an interesting few days following the surprise Sunday night announcement of a change of leadership at The Walt Disney Company. CEO Bob Chapek is out and the man he replaced, Bob Iger, is back at the helm at the house of mouse. While the lackluster financial state of the company is the obvious reason this change was made, more details are coming to light that indicate Bob Chapek may have been making some shady decisions regarding the company’s financials, specifically around Disney+.

In a story in the Wall Street Journal (via WhatsOnDisneyPlus), it’s mentioned that the second season of The Mysterious Benedict Society, a Disney+ original series, was seeing its episodes debut on Disney Channel a day before they appeared on the streaming service. Something similar was apparently planned for the second season of Doogie Kameāloha, M.D. The reason for this, according to the report, was that by premiering the shows on Disney Channel, the production and marketing costs could be shifted to the cable channel, thus shrinking the costs of Disney+.

Disney+ has been losing money for Disney since its inception, something that was known and completely expected, but the streaming service reported a staggering $1.5 billion in losses during the last quarterly earnings call. While then CEO Chapek tried to spin it, saying that losses would only shrink from here, until Disney+ reached profitability in 2024, Wall Street did not respond well to the news. The earnings call is being cited as one of the major factors leading to the Disney Board making the move to bring back Bob Iger.

Walt Disney Company CFO Christin McCarthy was one of the people who was reportedly concerned about this shifting around of costs, she’s also one of the people who apparently had serious concerns about Chapek continuing as CEO and so it sounds like this may have contributed to that view.

If this reporting is accurate, and there’s no reason to believe it is not, then the whole thing is quite concerning. While shifting costs like this may not be strictly speaking illegal, it’s questionable at best. It looks like an intentional effort to make Disney+ look better financially than it actually was. It doesn’t change Disney’s bottom line, but it does make the segment of the company that has been the primary focus of the last two years look better than it is, which is not the sort of thing that stockholders and financial institutions tend to appreciate. 

It also creates some interesting questions regarding Disney’s Media & Entertainment Distribution, the new vertical within Disney created by Chapek to manage nearly all of Disney’s media companies, including both Disney Channel and Disney+. Making these cost shifts might have been easier, and less transparent, because of the organization. The head of DMED, Kareem Daniel, left Disney on Iger’ first day back and in an email to employees, Iger said Disney would be returning to a more creator focused organization, indicating DMED may be getting dismantled entirely. 

When Bob Iger stepped down and Bob Chapek took his place as the CEO of The Walt Disney Company, it was early 2020, just a few weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the Disney theme parks and movie theaters, among other major elements that makes the Mouse House go round. After over two years leading Disney, the board of the company has voted to extend Chapek’s contract for another three years. Yeah, he’s not going anywhere anytime soon. 

During a Disney board meeting on Tuesday, its members voted unanimously to keep Bob Chapek in the Disney CEO seat until July 2025, per CNBC. His contract was initially up for expiration for February 2023 ahead of the decision being made. 

At 63 years old, Bob Chapek remains as the seventh CEO for the House of Mouse after working for the company for nearly 30 years, previously as the chairman of Disney Parks, in the experiences and products division. Disney’s chairman of the board, Susan Arnold, who was appointed in late 2021, said this of the decision: 

Bob Chapek has been CEO as Disney made a huge use of its streaming service Disney+, which has quickly grown to become among the strongest streaming platforms. Disney+ is reportedly the second most subscribed streaming site, behind Netflix, and it could reportedly surpass Netflix’s numbers in a few years. Disney+ has become a new home for franchises like Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar and Disney Animation to expand the stories of beloved characters, or introduce new ones. 

To ease the transition of power, Bob Iger remained as the company’s chairman for nearly two years. According to a report that surfaced earlier this year, Iger and Chapek reportedly had “tension” that was palpable, to the point that they barely talked to each other during that time. 

During Chapek’s time as CEO, it has been a difficult time to hold the position. Amidst Disney Parks being closed for a prolonged period, Chapek introduced a new Annual Pass Program and a fastpass program called Genie+, the latter which has been heavily criticized. Additionally, Chapek was recently under hot water for his initial response to the “Don’t Say Gay” bill in Florida. 

As Chapek remains the CEO of The Walt Disney Company for the foreseeable future, we’ll keep you updated with everything Disney, including the upcoming attractions for Walt Disney World, here on CinemaBlend. 

After decades at the helm of the biggest entertainment company the world has ever seen, Bob Iger stepped down as CEO in 2020, making way for Bob Chapek. Iger didn’t leave The Walt Disney Company immediately. He stayed on as the company's executive chairman to help in the transition for the new CEO during a difficult time. But while Chapek was, it certainly appears, Iger’s choice for the job of CEO, it seems the two haven’t gotten along for some time, and they apparently barely interacted when Iger had his going away party.

A new report by CNBC dives into the apparently difficult relationship between Disney’s current CEO and the previous guy to have the job. While the two were perhaps never personally close, it seems that the relationship between them has been strained for some time. While Iger was supposed to help ease the transition for the new CEO, the two apparently rarely spoke during most of that period, resulting in it being clear to many within Disney that the two were not always on the same page.

One example given took place last November during a going away party at Bob Iger’s house before he left Disney for good. Bob Chapek was in attendance, but it's reported the two had very few interactions. At dinner, they sat at entirely different tables. Chapek was largely surrounded by Disney executives that he keeps close now. Bob Iger sat next to director Steven Spielberg. One of the guests at the party said the whole thing felt “awkward” and that the “tension was palpable.”

Nobody is saying the old and new CEO necessarily have to be friends but one would certainly expect them to interact more than they apparently are. They have something in common that few other people in the world have, being in charge of The Walt Disney Company.

According to the report, the tension stems from an an email Bob Iger wrote to the New York Times once month after handing over the reins to Chapek, where the new executive chairman implied that, due to the unprecedented times of the pandemic, he would be “actively helping” Chapek as he took over as CEO. But Chapek apparently did not take kindly to the idea that Iger’s help was necessary or requested.

And part of what makes the apparent complicated relationship between the two Bobs so interesting is that they do appear to be on the same page in many ways from a business perspective. The major reorganization of Disney and the creation of the Media and Entertainment Division, was something Iger himself had been considering. Though Chapek has made some significant changes to what Iger had planned, many of the core ideas were shared between the two.

Bob Chapek is a businessman with clear strengths, but he also has potentially significant weaknesses. In most cases that’s not a deal breaker, as any executive relies on others to help them in areas where they are less capable. However, it seems that one person who probably won’t be getting any phone calls for advice from the new Disney CEO is the old Disney CEO.  

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is constantly growing, and it seems like just about anything is possible in Phase Four. The studio is clearly leaning on the concept of the multiverse, which will be a major factor in Sam Raimi’s upcoming movie Doctor Strange 2. And following those rumors about Patrick Stewart’s Professor X, will the upcoming sequel have even more wild Marvel cameos?

The first trailer for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness basically broke the internet on Super Bowl Sunday, with generations of fans dissecting every frame of mysterious footage. Perhaps the most shocking was a scene where Benedict Cumberbatch’s character faces a panel of mysterious characters, one of whom sounds exactly like Patrick Stewart’s Charles Xavier. Disney CEO Bob Chapek recently spoke about the upcoming sequel, saying:

Well, color me intrigued. It seems like Sam Raimi has a number of tricks up his sleeve for Doctor Strange 2, aside from the dizzying footage that came with the movie’s first full trailer. Bob Chapek has teased that the movie will have unexpected connections to the greater MCU, which is sure to kickstart a few fan theories online.

Bob Chapek’s cryptic comments about Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness come from the recent Disney shareholders meeting, which featured a variety of updates about the studio’s future. The MCU is obviously a big part of that, and it looks like Sam Raimi’s upcoming blockbuster is going to be chock full of surprises for the rabid Marvel fanbase. Although now the question is: what exactly are these unexpected connections to the greater shared universe? Looks like the trailer was only the tip of the iceberg.

Marvel Studios is known for its security, so smart money says we won’t be privy to Sam Raimi’s surprises for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness until it arrives in theaters. The Spider-Man director ran a tight set, as there were no leaks or spoilers despite an extended filming process across the pond. But the trailer certainly inspired plenty of questions, especially related to Professor X, and what looks like a variant of Captain Marvel. Looks like “madness” isn’t an oversell for all the multiversal action that’s coming to theaters this summer.

As a reminder, you can see the full trailer for Doctor Strange 2 below. Fans are eager for the blockbuster to finally arrive in theaters, especially since it’ll bring the return of fan favorite character Wanda Maximoff/ Scarlet Witch. Although it looks like she might have a complicated relationship with her fellow magic user Stephen Strange. Check it out below,

There are countless fan theories about what Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness might contain. The most popular is that Marvels’ Illuminati will be introduced, with possible variants of popular characters appearing alongside Professor X. Fans are hoping the movie will also introduce the X-Men to the MCU, which is something fans have been waiting for since Disney acquired 20th Century Fox and its properties.

Doctor Strange 2 is currently expected to arrive in theaters on May 6th. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

Disney is a behemoth force in the entertainment industry, although it’ll always be known for its beloved animated blockbusters. The latest of these hits is Encanto, which features killer songs by the great Lin-Manuel Miranda. But is Encanto getting a sequel? Disney may have hinted at another movie.

While there are countless animated Disney movies that remain engrained in pop culture, very few of them are given actual theatrical sequels. Encanto had a strong run in the box office, with the movie only getting more popular since it was released on Disney+. At Walt Disney Company’s recent earnings call, CEO Bob Chapek recently spoke about the success of Encanto as the “launch of a new franchise.” But does that mean a sequel could be on the way with Lin-Manuel Miranda and company?

The Disney earning call comes to us from BusinessWire, along with information and numbers that were included in that presentation. These calls are often devoured by the public, who try to look for clues regarding the future of properties like Star Wars or the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And with Encanto’s soundtrack trending on the billboard charts, fans are eager for any information about a possible sequel.

Of course, it’s more than possible that Bob Chapek simply misspoke. Or perhaps by calling Encanto a “franchise,” he was referring to ventures like digital shorts, theme park tie-ins, and merchandising. We’ll have to wait and see, but it would definitely make sense to strike while the iron is hot for Encanto, which is managing to break records. 

Disney might not have produced a ton of theatrical sequels, but the studio dipped its toes into the water with Frozen II. That blockbuster ended up being a massive success, even living up to the hype of the original. Given that sequel’s critical and box office performance, perhaps we’ll see more of these projects moving forward.

As previously mentioned, Encanto has only increased in popularity since arriving straight to homes via Disney+. The surprise hit song has definitely been “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” which has managed to outperform Frozen’s “Let It Go.” That being said, the entire soundtrack is trending on the charts. What’s more, Lin-Manuel Miranda was just nominated for an Oscar for the song "Dos Oruguitas."

Aside from a movie sequel, there’s another Encanto follow-up that fans would be delighted to see. Namely, a new Broadway show. Given Lin-Manuel Miranda’s roots in the theater, it certainly seems like a match made in musical heaven. For his part, Miranda recently revealed that he’s got a longer finale number already written, should such a plan move forward. After all, Disney has previously brought movies to the stage like Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Aladdin, and Frozen.

Encanto is streaming now on Disney+. Be sure to check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

Marathons are a test of endurance and fortitude, a chance to test one’s body and mind. They’re also a great place to see the kinds of witty, viral moment-worthy signs that spectators often bring to show their support for the runners. This is especially true for Walt Disney World’s Marathon – though one such supporter used their sign to not only cheer on the marathoners, but also level some criticism at the House of Mouse’s new boss, Bob Chapek. 

Hopefully, the Disney CEO wasn’t hanging out in Magic Kingdom during the most recent marathon. If he was, he may have seen a homemade sign that was equal parts supportive (of the runners) and brutal (towards him). A user shared an image of it to Twitter:

Whoever made this sign took a “two birds, one stone” approach to their messaging – and that message was clear. Bob Chapek replaced Bob Iger as the corporation's CEO in February 2020. In the spring of 2020, The New York Times reported that Iger, who was still on the board of directors, was still playing a huge role in the creative direction at Disney, despite no longer being the top executive there. His tenure on the board ended at the end of 2021. 

While his successor hasn’t even been in the CEO role at Disney for a year, he’s faced criticism from fans on more than one occasion, and their complaints are wide-ranging. To many, he didn’t get off on the right foot when it comes to Disney’s most popular film franchises. He was in hot water for calling the release strategy for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings an experiment – he even earned the ire of the film’s star, Simu Liu.  After Scarlett Johannson sued the Walt Disney Company last year over a breach of her Black Widow contract, many fans sided with the actress and weren’t shy about letting the company know how they felt. (Marvel’s Kevin Feige jumped to the exec's defense after the lawsuit was settled, for what it’s worth.) 

But the negative feedback for Bob Chapek doesn’t just stop with the studio's film properties themselves. Fans have also been dissatisfied with aspects of the company's streaming service – and despite complaints about the price, Chapek has doubled down on their business model. 

Then, there are the changes at Disney Parks, which the businessman oversaw before he was promoted. In the months since the theme parks have reopened following the pandemic, there have been some significant changes to core aspects of the experience like the FastPass, which has been replaced. These changes have been met with a wave of backlash. If the comments on a video introducing the new system are any indication, many fans lay the blame at Chapek’s feet. 

Between the YouTube comments and the marathon sign alone, it’s clear that fans have a list of grievances for Disney’s new CEO. And they apparently aren’t afraid to air them, even if they have to get creative to do so. 

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has become a well-oiled machine, especially throughout Phase Three’s massively successful run. But Phase Four started off with some drama, as Scarlett Johansson sued Disney for money lost during Black Widow’s two-tiered release. That’s since been settled, and Kevin Feige has nice things to say about Disney CEO Bob Chapek despite the ScarJo lawsuit Brouhaha.

Black Widow marked the first movie installment in the MCU’s Phase Four, and it was released both in theaters and streaming on Disney+. Unfortunately the box office had a steep decline after the first weekend, and the blockbuster was seemingly pirated as well. While Bob Chapek has been making headlines when commenting on the now-settled Scarlett Johansson lawsuit, MCU architect Kevin Feige recently tipped his hat to the Disney exec, saying:

Well, there you have it. While some studios have gotten criticism for interrupting the vision of its filmmakers, Kevin Feige doesn’t feel that pressure from Bob Chapek and the folks at Disney. On the contrary, he thinks the amount of questions and opinions offered are exclusively helpful from Chapek.

Kevin Feige’s comments to THR help to show what it’s really like working within the behemoth that is the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And while there are occasionally missteps and drama like Scarlett Johansson’s lawsuit or the temporary firing of James Gunn, Feige seems to have a great working relationship with the powers that be at Disney. And that includes one Bob Chapek.

Being a CEO isn’t always a job that allows one to flex their creative muscles, but Kevin Feige seems to think quite highly of Bob Chapek’s unique perspective. And since the MCU is telling larger than life stories that are also interconnected, some strong minds are required to make each new installment into a reality. 

It’s unclear exactly how much money was involved in the Scarlett Johansson settlement with Disney, but smart money says the new mother was able to make up some of the money lost during Black Widow’s disappointing release. Both she and the studio have made amicable statements, and Johansson will continue producing Disney’s upcoming Tower of Terror movie.

Regardless, it seems clear that Scarlett Johansson’s time as Black Widow has officially come to an end. It should be interesting to see how Florence Pugh’s Yelena factors into future stories, and if she takes on the official mantle of her sister.

The next installment in the MCU is Eternals on November 5th. In the meantime, check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

There have been a lot of changes at Disney parks over the last couple of years. One of the most significant has been the end of Disney World and Disneyland’s FastPass program. While its replacement, Genie Plus, has inspired some backlash from fans, the company’s CEO, Bob Chapek, still believes it offers a lot of upsides.

When Disney announced that its long-standing Fastpass program would soon be a thing of the past, it marked a new era for their beloved parks and legions of fans. In its place, the Disney Genie app's new features will give visitors the ability to reserve spots on rides during available windows of time, for an additional daily fee per ticket. In an interview with Seeking Alpha, Bob Chapek explained how park closures due to COVID-19 drove their decision to these decisions, and why he thinks they’re a step in the right direction:

Bob Chapek also made it clear that the Genie Plus program is a work in progress. With this, he believes that it will improve as the parks continue to reopen and as the higher-ups at Disney continue to gauge its effectiveness:

Since Disney World, Disneyland and other Disney parks have begun to reopen over the last several months, the company has faced an uphill battle in terms of attracting visitors. They continue to experiment with attractions and incentives to bring guests back, some of which appear to be working better than others. It will be interesting to see how Genie Plus helps (or hinders) those efforts after it launches this fall.

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Over the past decade of filmmaking, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has become a well-oiled machine. And while every installment in Phase Three was a critical and box office success, Phase Four has had some speed bumps concerning Black Widow. And following Scarlett Johansson’s legal fallout with the studio, one Disney exec has explained the “reset” in talent deals currently happening.

After a number of delays, Black Widow finally was released back in July. But in addition to theaters, it was also made available to stream on Disney+. The movie had a giant pirating issue seemingly as a result, and Scarlett Johansson is in a legal battle with the studio over money lost. And as the fallout continues to shake out, Disney CEO Bob Chapek has spoken about the unprecedented nature of the industry when it comes to streaming. As he put it,

These comments make a great deal of sense, as there’s been some unrest in the entertainment industry over the role streaming services have. For many blockbusters, actors negotiate to take home a percentage of the box office. This resulted in an insane payday for Robert Downey Jr. on Avengers: Endgame, which is likely part of why Scarlett Johansson was so disappointed with the performance of Black Widow.

Bob Chapek’s comments come from a recent appearance at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia Conference (via THR). The rise of streaming services is having a major impact on the industry, but this is especially true given the new trend of two-tier releases. Because while movies going straight to streaming have been the result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the contracts actors signed didn’t take this type of strategy into consideration.

The MCU has found its streaming home on Disney+. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.

Later in his same appearance, Bob Chapek went on to explain the unique place that both studios and actors are currently in. While not mentioning Black Widow or Scarlett Johansson by name, it’s easy to make that connection for the public. Chapek said,

The reset on talent deals isn’t the only way that Black Widow’s performance seems to have affected the greater MCU. Case in point: Simu Liu’s Shang-Chi was given an exclusive theatrical window before hitting Disney+. The blockbuster has been breaking records, in stark juxtaposition to the disappointing performance of Scarlett Johansson’s solo flick.

Shang-Chi is in theaters now, and will be followed up by Eternals on November 5th. In the meantime, check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

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After a year of delays, Phase Four of the MCU is in full swing. And with Black Widow in the rear view, fans will be treated to three new movies in quick succession. Next up is Destin Daniel Cretton’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, which will star Simu Liu as the title character. And now Marvel Studios’ Kevin Feige has responded after Liu called out a Disney Head Honcho for referring to Shang-Chi as an “experiment.”

Last week Disney’s CEO Bob Chapek referenced the release strategy for Shang-Chi as an “interesting experiment”, seemingly in reference to the blockbuster hitting theaters for a limited 45 day exclusive before eventually becoming available to stream on Disney+. This quote inspired some backlash by Simu Liu on social media, quickly going viral in the process. Now Kevin Feige has responded to this discourse, saying:

Well, there you have it. It looks like Kevin Feige seem to think the entire drama with Simu Liu is all one big misunderstanding. And he believes that the studio’s love and faith in Shang-Chi will be obvious once the next Marvel installment hits theaters. Only time will tell.

Kevin Feige’s comments to THR help to show what it’s really like within the MCU, and just how complicated his job is. Feige is tasked with being the architect of the overall franchise, producing each new Marvel blockbuster. That includes Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, a project that Feige does sees pretty thrilled about.

Marvel fans can re-watch the Infinity Saga on Disney+. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.

Despite being Marvel’s newest superhero, it’s clear that Simu Liu has his own opinions and is willing to use his platform to make them known. As a reminder, you can check out Simu Liu’s response to those controversial Bob Chapek comments below.

Luckily for Marvel fans, they won’t have to wait too much longer to judge Shang-Chi for themselves. As previously mentioned, the movie recently had its world premiere, with responses from audiences arriving online. We’ll just have to see how Simu Liu’s character is introduced, and if/when he’ll eventually crossover with other characters like The Avengers.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings will hit theaters on September 3rd. In the meantime, check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

With the ongoing pandemic getting worse, some location-based restrictions around theater attendance and recent box office grosses being less than stellar, there has been a lot of talk about Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings. More specifically, there has been a lot of talk about how Shang-Chi would be released, whether Disney would choose an exclusively in-theater model, a Disney+ premiere offering or some hybrid between the two. Well, the Mouse House CEO Bob Chapek finally provided the answer during an investor call last week, saying in an “interesting experiment”, it’ll exclusively hit theaters for 45 days and then head to Disney+.

Quite a few media outlets, as well as Twitter users picked up on his usage of the term “experiment” and Bob Chapek’s quotes ran around. The response was divisive to say the least. Some saw his comments as a frank and honest analysis of how up-in-the-air everything is right now with movie releases. Others saw it as a bit of a shot at Shang-Chi itself, as if it was relegated to simply an experiment. Lead actor Simu Liu seems to be in the latter camp, as he fired off a social media post saying the movie is not an experiment. You can read his words below…

There are a lot of different people with different perspectives who feel strongly about this situation; so, let me try to break down both of the sides here. In order to properly do that, though, let’s first take a look at Chapek’s actual comments. In the interest of time, I won’t embed the whole thing, but here’s the portion in question…

Now, first let’s defend Bob Chapek and the Disney executives here for a minute. The experiment he’s referring to is clearly the length of the theatrical window, not the movie itself. No one knows exactly how future availability on streaming services affects people’s decisions on whether or not to see a movie. The entire industry is in a huge amount of flux right now, and every major studio needs to start figuring out how best to release their movies. Event films with huge budgets like Shang-Chi need to make back a lot of money just to break even. Disney has an entire pipeline of future movies coming, and whether we want to admit it’s an “experiment” or not, all movie releases are data points and information to help inform future releases. This is a business, and that’s just how it works, especially with so much uncertainty right now.

This situation, however, is more complicated than just one side choosing to see the worst in a CEO’s comments. Let’s look at the other perspective. Whether fair or not (I haven’t seen the numbers), there is a perception among many that Marvel is not promoting Shang-Chi as aggressively as it has other MCU releases. This is important because there are many who feel the success or failure of Shang-Chi will have a tremendous impact on what budgets look like for future films with majority Asian casts and also on popular culture in general. So, in that sense, while this might be just the next movie coming from Disney, it’s, in other ways, one specific movie that has a lot of pressure to do well. The word "experiment" also isn't exactly a word with a lot of positive connotations either, and I don't think there's anyone who necessarily wants years of hard work to end up being used as an experiment. So, at minimum, it was not a particularly thoughtful choice of words.

Ultimately, both sides are invested in Shang-Chi doing as well as possible. With its theme parks being closed for long periods of time last year and box office returns on Black Widow and other movies not what was hoped for, Disney and CEO Bob Chapek could really use a big win here. Obviously everyone involved with making the movie wants to see it do as well as possible too. Hopefully both sides can get on the same page here and start investing toward the same goal especially because during production, everyone involved seemed to be having the best time, as you can see in the behind the scenes photos star Simu Liu released as part of his social media post…

Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings opens in theaters on September 3rd. Response to the trailer was very strong, and there is a ton of excitement around the film. Here’s to hoping it delivers, and the release date “experiment” proves to be the right decision.

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The film industry has been scrambling for the last year and a half to simply figure out how to continue to do business. Many major releases have been, and continue to be simply delayed, in hopes that things will be better in the future. Other films have been sent to VOD and streaming services rather than theaters. Others have done both at the same time. Disney, however, took a very unique path, in releasing four films through Disney+ Premier Access. This put the movie on the streaming platform the same day it was in theaters, but also added an up charge to see the film, like a VOD platform. While there are no plans for any future Premier Access titles, Disney CEO Bob Chapek is leaving that door open.

Speaking on The Walt Disney Company's Q3 Earnings Call, CEO Bob Chapek talked about the way that the company has been handling movie distribution in different ways due to the global pandemic. While there were no plans announced to release any upcoming movies as Premier Access titles, Chapek was clear that it could still happen, as "all available options" remain on the table. According to the CEO...

Following this statement, Bob Chapek ran through most of the major releases for Disney's remaining fiscal year and fiscal year 2022. Each of them was specifically discussed as a theatrical release, with no mention of Disney+, so at least for the moment it seems that's the plan for these movies, but the company clearly wants to leave the door open to the possibility they could reverse course if there's a feeling that's where consumer behavior is trending.

One movie that seems unlikely to go to Premier Access is Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. When asked why the film isn't taking the same path to market as Black Widow, Bob Chapek explained that part of the reason is specifically to see what happens when a similar movie takes a different path. It's basically an experiment to see how two Marvel movies fair when they go through different channels. After Disney has the data on this, the company can make better decisions about what to do with future movies.

And this is likely why Premier Access hasn't been written off yet. If the data comes back and it looks like Premier Access really works for Disney, then we're more likely to see it again. It doesn't appear that the plan is to make Premier Access the new normal right now, but it still could be down the road.

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The last year and a half has been a wild place in the movie business as studios, theaters, and everybody in between have struggled to figure out just how to handle the global pandemic while still producing movies and getting them in front of audiences. It's required a lot of changes to the way things used to happen, including changes in the way that people get paid. However, Scarlett Johansson recently took issue with the way she was being paid by Disney for Black Widow, which has led to a lawsuit and a very public back and forth between the two sides.

During yesterday's Q3 earnings call for The Walt Disney Company, CEO Bob Chapek was asked about the changing Hollywood landscape, and how it has impacted things, such as attracting, and compensating talent. The question seemed to make veiled reference to the Scarlett Johansson situation, and Chapek's response seemed to make an equally veiled response to it, saying that Disney has had no issues working out appropriate deals with talent under these ever changing circumstances, most of the time. According to Chapek...

The "by and large" phrase here seems to be saying quite a bit, as it implies that there have been cases where arrangements have not gone smoothly, and we're all very aware of one place where that has been the case. Scarlett Johansson filed a suit against Disney at the end of July over her compensation package for the Black Widow movie. The actress' pay for the film had several million dollars tied up in the movie's box office performance. The suit alleges because the movie was released on Disney+ as well as in theaters, that hurt the film's box office, thus preventing the actress from realizing her full potential income.

Bob Chapek's comments here seem to indicate that he's not expecting other lawsuits to be filed against the company in a similar vein. It sounds like, for the other films that released on Disney+ in addition to, or instead of, theatrical distribution, new deals were made so that the talent involved would still make their money, or at least some money, even with a reduced box office.

While no other movies are currently set to get the Disney+ Premier Access treatment, Bob Chapek did leave the door open to that possibility. Even if day and date streaming releases don't become the norm, streaming has clearly taken a massive piece of marketshare it won't be giving back, and thus the future of Hollywood has changed, and the contracts will certainly need to change with it.

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In response to the pandemic wreaking havoc on the theatrical industry, Disney launched the Premier Access tier for Disney+. For an extra $29.99, subscribers to the Mouse House’s streaming service have been able to access movies like Cruella, Black Widow and Jungle Cruise at the same time they’re playing in theaters. However, the next Marvel Cinematic Universe movie on the docket, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, will not receive be going straight to Disney+, and that’s because it’ll be spending a shorter amount of time in theaters.

During a Disney investor call, the company’s CEO, Bob Chapek, noted how Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings will remain exclusive to movie theaters for just 45 days, making it the first Marvel movie to play within that smaller time frame. After that, it will be made available on Disney+. As Chapek put it:

While 90 days was once the standard amount of time for how long a movie would play only in theaters, it looks like 45 days is becoming the new norm. Paramount sent A Quiet Place: Part II to Paramount+ after that span of time, and will do the same with PAW Patrol: The Movie and Top Gun: Maverick. And over at Warner Bros, it was announced earlier this week that the studio struck a deal with AMC Theatres that ensures all WB movies in 2022 get a 45-day exclusive window, after which time they can be put on HBO Max. Now Disney is playing around with the 45-day window with Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, so those of you who’d rather watch the eponymous character’s MCU debut on Disney+ (use this link to subscribe if you're not already signed up) will need to wait a little over a month.

That being said, Bob Chapek also acknowledged during the investor call that the decision to release Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings exclusively in theaters was made in a “more healthy” environment when it came to COVID-19, alluding to the fact that the delta variant has become a bigger problem. Alas, even if Chapek and the rest of the Disney brass wanted to put Shang-Chi on Disney+’s Premier Access, it’s too late to change distribution plans now. So we’ll just have to wait and see how the next Marvel movie performs in theaters starting September 3.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings stars Simu Liu as the title hero, who will clash with his father, Tony Leung’s Wenwu, a.k.a. the real Mandarin. The cast also includes Awkwafina, Michelle Yeoh, Meng'er Zhang, Fala Chen and Florian Munteanu. While we count down the remains days to its big screen release, learn what else the MCU has coming up with our upcoming Marvel movies guide.

Having already developed a sizeable customer base through The Mandalorian's first season, Disney+ became one of the go-to streaming platforms for subscribers when the COVID-19 pandemic began, and it's continued rising up the ranks. But the platform’s pricing has come into question, with some entertainment-seekers asking for a more budget-friendly option. After months of such questions, Disney CEO Bob Chapek provided an answer, though his blunt matter-of-fact response might not be what everyone was hoping to hear.

Disney+’s original content and huge catalog of intellectual property have placed it as one of the top streaming platforms. Every time, a new streaming platform arrives, budget-conscious viewers always ask about a cheaper option outside of Disney's budget-friendly bundle with Hulu and ESPN+. During an investors call (via THR), Disney CEO Bob Chapek was asked about the chances of specifically a cheaper Disney+ option happening at some point, and he replied with:

Bing, bang, boom. Unlike some corporate executives, Bob Chapek didn’t mind cutting right to the chase in confirming Disney+ isn't looking to ape the cheaper, ad-incorporated option that HBO Max is currently promoting. At least Chapek was honest about his thoughts on a cheaper option, and it's not like he's speaking lunacy. The current Disney+ price options are quite doable, especially with the Hulu and ESPN+ bundle. When compared to other streaming services, it’s already one of the cheaper options, especially when considering the company's vast library of content.

Plus, given the number of linear TV viewers who complain about watching ads, the House of Mouse’s approach is commendable. And also a little surprising, given how transparent Disney is about commercialism and consumerism. Perhaps if millions upon millions more fans voice their need for a cheaper streaming option, Bob Chapek & Co. might have a conversation or two, but not just yet.

Despite this blunt response, digital advertising is still a major part of Disney’s overall business strategy. Bob Chapek spoke on the power of digital business, saying to investors:

It’s nice to know digital advertisement and streaming are becoming the bread and butter of the House of Mouse, at least for everyone but the company's biggest competitors. The ways things are lining up, it seems Bob Chapek and his mega-company will continue to embrace streaming and direct-to-consumer approaches in the future. Disney+, like many streamers, has become a nice outlet for all-Disney brands, especially during the pandemic.

Given all the upcoming Disney projects announced last year and everything else that's gone into development in the interim, Disney+ will serve as a surefire way to keep quite a few of Hollywood’s top studios cranking out new projects. Having an abundance of original content has put them in direct competition with Netflix and Amazon Prime in such a brief time. In a few years, the House of Mouse may be an even more dominant force in that space.

So maybe one day down the line, Bob Chapek and Disney will change course and provide a cheaper option for Disney+ in some way. But until then, the streamer will continue to soar with so many Marvel films and television series and Star Wars projects coming down the pipeline. Cruella and Loki are currently streaming, too, with Marvel's Black Widow and Disney's Jungle Cruise arriving on July 9 and July 30, respectively.

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Last year was a wild one, as global health concerns brought the entertainment industry to a screeching halt. Countless movies were delayed as a result, including the long-awaited Marvel blockbuster Black Widow. The movie is finally set arrive in July, and Disney CEO Bob Chapek recently defended plans to release Black Widow in both theaters and streaming on Disney+.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is known for making an insane amount of money at the box office, with every installment of Phase Three managing to accrue buckets to cash. It’s for this reason that the studio pushed back the release of Black Widow, Eternals, and Shang-Chi. But ScarJo’s solo movie is finally arriving, and Bob Chapek spoke to Black Widow’s two-pronged release, saying:

Touche. While it may come at the cost of box office numbers, studios like Marvel and Warner Bros. haven been making movies available straight to homes for those who might be nervous returning the movies. Although a highly anticipated title like Black Widow might be just the type of project to encourage fans to finally step back into a theater.

Bob Chapek’s comments on the Disney earnings call (via Deadline) offers a peek behind the curtain within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While Black Widow likely won’t make as much money at the box office as it would have pre-pandemic, it seems that Disney is ok with that compromise during this unprecedented time. Plus, those who want to watch Cate Shortland’s blockbuster on Disney+ won’t be able to do it free of charge.

Marvel fans can re-watch Black Widow’s time in the MCU so far on Disney+. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.

Given how theaters around the world were shut down or at limited capacity, studios had to adjust in a way the industry never has before. Warner Bros. made the decision to release new movies to HBO Max for a limited time at no extra fee. For the House of Mouse, new releases were brought to Disney+, but for an additional charge over the application’s subscription fee. Although Black Widow marks the first (and likely only) time this has happened to a Marvel blockbuster.

Black Widow was delayed time and time again last year, as the plan for vaccinations and theaters reopening remained unclear. It’s likely for this reason that the studio has committed to the movie arriving in July, and is encouraging fans to pick how they’d like to watch it. Phase Four opened with shows on Disney+, but Marvel fans are still ravenous for a full movie experience.

Anticipation for Black Widow starting rising as soon as the project was announced, with fans thrilled to finally see Scarlett Johansson’s title character get a solo movie. The interest only increased when Natasha sacrificed herself in Avengers: Endgame, as Black Widow has the chance to offer new context to that decision. Plus, we’ll learn more about her backstory and will be introduced to Nat’s first chosen family.

Black Widow will arrive on July 9th. In the meantime, check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

It's been a year since Disneyland Resort closed its theme parks to the public. And while there was hope at one point that the parks would reopen in July of 2020, on the 65th anniversary of the park's original opening, that decision was eventually scuttled by the state of California deciding to hold off on releasing guidelines for theme park's reopening. However, after months of waiting, the state of California finally released guidelines that would allow theme parks to reopen as early as April 1. Disneyland said it simply wouldn't be able to open that fast, but was shooting for a reopening date later in the month. Now Disney CEO Bob Chapek has revealed that Disneyland plans to reopen on April 30.

Bob Chapek dropped the news this morning on CNBC (via theme park reporter Carlye Wisel.) This is certainly great news for the thousands of people who have been hoping to return to the happiest place on earth in the last year. Walt Disney World has been open since early June of last year, and thus far everything has been working quite well. The parks are only open to a limited number of people and other safety measures like social distancing and face masks have been required. The same rules will be in place for the newly reopened Disneyland until further notice.

The question now is, what will Disneyland look like when it reopens? Orange County was moved into the "red tier" in California's pandemic response, which will allow the theme parks to open at 15% capacity. However, with the reopening date still six weeks out, if the county continues to improve, we could see moves into even lower tiers before the parks actually reopen, meaning even more guests will be allowed inside.

The capacity limits allowed may go a long way in determining just what is available for guests when the park reopens. Rides like Rise of the Resistance, which was only open for a couple months when the park closed down, will be back. It's also been confirmed that the newly redesigned Fantasyland attraction Snow White's Enchanted Wish will have its grand opening when the park reopens. Other major new attractions, like Avengers Campus, are set to open at some point in the future.

One interesting note, the official press release for the reopening promises "new magic is coming to the Haunted Mansion." That attraction was also undergoing some refurbishment when the park closed, so it looks like some new things have been added. However, it will be interesting to see if the ride actually reopens with the park. Walt Disney World's version of the Haunted Mansion has gone without the stretching room in to allow for better social distancing. The Disneyland version can't do that as the room is an actual elevator and is required to get to the rest of the attraction.

Disney has confirmed that both theme parks, Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, will both be opening on April 30. DCA was already planning to reopen tomorrow as part of a special ticketed food and beverage event called A Touch of Disney. That event will run through April 19, and then the park will close down again to get ready for the true reopening of the theme park.

If you're planning on trying to buy tickets, and one can already guess that will be hard to do, getting a Disneyland Resort hotel room will be even tougher. The Grand Californian Hotel & Spa will be opening to limited capacity on April 29, but Disney's other two hotels, the Disneyland Hotel and the Paradise Pier Hotel will reopen on an as yet unknown later date.

The relationship between "Star Wars fans" and Lucasfilm chief Kathleen Kennedy has been a tenuous one of late. At this point it seems likely that even if you really like Star Wars, there's a recent piece of media that you're not a huge fan of. Maybe it's Star Wars: The Last Jedi or The Rise of Skywalker, but the last Star Wars trilogy wasn't perfect. And a lot of fans figure the buck stops at the top with Kennedy, with some fans hoping she might step down. Unsubstantiated rumors have even claimed she was on the way out more than once. And now Disney CEO Bob Chapek has been asked directly if there's any chance she could be fired.

Bad news if you were hoping Kathleen Kennedy would be out of a job anytime soon, because it's not going to happen. During the recent Disney 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, a stockholder from San Antonio, Texas asked Bob Chapek if there was any possibility that Kennedy could be replaced in her role as head of Lucasfilm by somebody like Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, or possibly both. Chapek was unequivocal in his response that the company is very happy with Kennedy's work, and he for one hopes she stays in that job for quite some time. He said...

If it seems a bit wild that Bob Chapek would be asked such a question, that's the difference between meetings designed for "shareholders" versus "investors." The Walt Disney Company holds many conference call style events a year, but most of them are designed for investors. The people who ask questions represent banks and investment firms and so the questions are focused on items that are going to directly impact the stock price of the company. Who's running Lucasfilm is a minor blip on that radar.

But shareholders are, for lack of a better term, normal people. While the stock price is certainly of value to them, they also simply care about normal stuff like watching the movies and going to theme parks. In addition to the Lucasfilm question Chapek fielded inquires on the future of the Disney college program, and possibly making changes to allow those that aged out of the program during the pandemic to apply, and questions about why Cinemark theaters weren't showing Raya and the Last Dragon.

But ultimately, everybody cares about the stock price, and while people may not have loved the quality of all the Star Wars movies, the fact is they've all made boatloads of money, and that's good for the company bottom line. As long as that continues to be the case, you can be sure everybody inside Disney is going to be happy with the work Kathleen Kennedy is doing.

The COVID-19 Pandemic has overthrown the theatrical landscape as we know it. Since theaters first started shutting down last year, the domestic box-office has hit record lows. While the ongoing pandemic plays a big part in the decline, streaming giants such as HBO Max haven’t made the going any easier. Despite Warner Bros' industry shattering announcement last December, Disney has assured viewers that when it comes its 2021 film slate, including the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Black Widow, the plan is still for them to hit theaters.

In a recent earnings call, Disney CEO Bob Chapek stood by that statement and confirmed that the studio is still intending to release Black Widow in theaters, for now. In his words:

The Disney executive reiterated the studio's plans to move forward with Black Widow’s theatrical release, scheduled for May 7, 2021. The announcement, which took place during the company's Q1 earnings call, comes after the Disney Investor Day last December, in which a number of high profile projects were announced.

While it’s nice to see that Disney hasn’t gone all in on the HBO Max model yet, I wouldn’t be surprised if things changed as we got closer to the release date. There are still a number of safety protocols and capacity limits in place for those who want to catch the latest flicks on the big screen.

Disney got in on its share of the streaming controversy with the decision to skip theaters for Mulan, charging Disney + subscribers a one time fee of $30 for early access. The House of Mouse seemed to be pleased with the film's performance despite not making it onto the big screen domestically. Despite the success, the company has not committed to the same strategy for its upcoming 2021 releases, with the exception of Raya and the Last Dragon, which will be made available both in theaters and on Premier Access on March 5.

Bob Chapek did mention that those involved will be closely monitoring the release of Black Widow, which will kick off the MCU’s highly anticipated Phase 4 on the franchise's film side. The Natasha Romanoff-centered film will be the first Marvel movie released since 2019’s Spider-Man: Far From Home. The superhero franchise is set to release four films this year, including Eternals, Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings and the yet-to-be-titled Spider-Man 3.

Expect more news on Black Widow as we approach the May release date. There is no telling where theaters, studios or even the country will be in relation to the coronavirus. Fortunately, it looks like Bob Chapek and company will be making the best (and hopefully safest) decision for this year's slate of Disney films.

After numerous delays due to the global health crisis, Disney announced yesterday during its 3Q earnings call that Mulan will be headed to Disney+, for a premium rental fee of $29.99. In addition, the film will also be released theatrically, on the same day, wherever possible. Many were surprised to hear that the company had opted out of a traditional theatrical release. Still, Disney CEO Bob Chapek has discussed the reasoning behind sending the live-action remake directly to the streaming service.

While speaking during the earnings call, Bob Chapek expressed the company’s belief that releasing Mulan through Disney+ will allow the film to reach a multitude of viewers who are unable to go to movie theaters at this time. In addition, he also feels that having such a major film on the streamer will help attract new customers:

After Mulan was forced to move from its original March release date, Disney still held fast to a theatrical release, with the film eventually being marked as one of the high-profile projects that would potentially bring audiences back to the theater. Now that Disney has decided to release it via streaming service, many are wondering if this will become a trend for certain releases from the company. Bob Chapek, however, contends that Mulan’s method of release is a “one-off,” though he also mentioned that Disney will be watching the reception to the premium release closely:

This certainly creates an interesting path for Disney moving forward. While Mulan’s release is being called a one-off, you have to wonder if Disney would consider continuing this method if it proves successful.

The COVID-19 pandemic is proving to have last effects on the film industry, particularly when it comes to the way in which films are released. The release of Trolls World Tour led to a falling out between AMC and Universal Pictures. However, that relationship was soon re-established in a major way when both entities entered a historic agreement that would shorten the established exhibition window to 17 days. Not only that, but AMC is also set to receive a share of revenue from Universal’s PVOD rental sales.

We’re definitely entering a new era when it comes to PVOD releases and the relationships between theater chains and film studios. Universal has made its position quite clear and, with Disney’s Mulan decision, it’ll be interesting to see how things continue to progress.

Mulan will be released in theaters and on Disney+ VOD Premium on September 4.

Both Walt Disney World and Disneyland will be reopening within days of each other next month. While both resorts will be adding a host of new precautionary measures, like social distancing and requiring the wearing of masks, there is certainly still going to be a lot of concern that it's too soon to be reopening theme parks, even with the new safety measures in place. However, Disney's CEO Bob Chapek says guests can be confident that the parks are doing everything that is possible to open up in a way that keeps guest safety in mind.

While Walt Disney World's reopening plan has been approved by Florida, there is still some obvious apprehension at the idea. Even with safety procedures in place, the risk is still not zero, something even Walt Disney World admits. Recently, CNN asked Disney CEO Bob Chapek why it was safe, and Chapek stated that the park has taken a lot of guidance in making sure that everything has been done to give guests the necessary confidence. According to the CEO...

Anybody who has been to Disneyland or Walt Disney World knows that the complete theme park experience extends far beyond a collection of rides and attractions. Disney wants guests to feel taken care of, and Bob Chapek feels that, under the current situation, that means health and safety as much as anything else.

And it's not just the guests but the cast members working in the parks who need to be taken care of. Bob Chapek understands that the Walt Disney Company as a whole has built up a lot of trust with their customers, but now Disney needs to come through and show that the trust has been well placed.

There's a lot of evidence that wearing face coverings and social distancing really does help reduce the spread of virus, and so it's certainly possible that these factors will make places like Disneyland and Walt Disney World much more safe. Of course, considering the sheer size of the resorts that we're talking about, keeping everybody following all the rules all the time is a potentially herculean task.

It's hard to say at this point just how willing guests will be to visit places like Disney World in July. Certainly, the fewer that do, the better it actually is for all those who go. We'll be watching closely to see just how well it all works.

Disney executives Bob Chapek, Bob Iger and LaTondra Newton sent an email to all of the entertainment giant’s employees this weekend promising “real change” and commitment to “diversity and inclusion everywhere.” The message was later made public and has since been circulating widely, just one of many statements offered up over the past few days by entertainment creators in response to the murder of George Floyd and subsequent protests that have spread throughout many cities in the United States.

The four paragraph letter argues Disney will work to foster “a culture that acknowledges our people’s feelings and pain.” It also admits that many of those calls for change are coming from Disney employees themselves, which is why it’s important the letter came from Chapek, Iger and Newton. LaTondra Newton may not be a name familiar to many outside of Disney, but she’s a Senior Vice President and the Chief Diversity Officer for the Mouse House. 

The former Toyota executive was hired three years ago to help elevate other voices and bring more inclusion to Disney. She’s participated in campaigns like Lean In in the past, and now she’s front and center on this statement alongside Disney’s two biggest names: Chapek and Iger.

There are few companies in the United States that reach more people and have created more positive memories than Disney. From the company’s beloved animated classics to its incredibly popular theme parks (which remain closed), Disney has no specific target consumer. So, if it wants to push for real change by amplifying more viewpoints and projects from creators of color or even just featuring a wider, more diverse collection of characters in its stories, it has the power to do that. Those stories will be seen, especially now that it has millions and millions of Disney+ subscribers.

You can read Disney’s statement in full below, which now appears on its website…

Committing to diversity and inclusion isn't a goal that is solved overnight, especially because projects, particularly animated ones, can be in development for years. Disney can't just snap its fingers and immediately make this a reality, but with hard work and strong buy-in from its executives, we should start seeing more and more viewpoints moving forward. We'll keep you updated when Disney starts announcing more direct steps or starts greenlighting some specifics projects as part of this initiative.

Production halts throughout the entertainment industry have left the futures of many TV shows and movies uncertain, but Disney's new CEO Bob Chapek has some encouraging words for Disney+ subscribers. The home of The Mandalorian, upcoming live-action Marvel shows, and so much more isn't going to run out of original content to release just because filming currently isn't happening.

Bob Chapek explained why the filming halts won't bring Disney+ releases to a standstill, saying this to CNBC (via Deadline):

Development on new projects and new seasons of TV shows can happen remotely, and production teams can apparently still work on post- as well. Fortunately, Bob Chapek came out and specifically addressed a question that has undoubtedly been on many Star Wars fans' minds: what about The Mandalorian Season 2?

Filming on the second season of The Mandalorian was finished by early March, but The Mandalorian is an effects-heavy show. Other TV shows, ranging from Supernatural on The CW to The Walking Dead on AMC, weren't able to complete their their current seasons due to unfinished effects despite filming already coming to an end.

Bob Chapek cleared the air about the status of The Mandalorian Season 2, saying this:

Well, Disney may have hit some rough patches with its parks and release dates, butf Star Wars fans don't have to worry that The Mandalorian will miss its intended October premiere. Considering the popularity of the show (and of course Baby Yoda), a Mandalorian delay might have made some Disney+ subscribers pretty unhappy. Disney is rolling with the punches of the production halts, and that means Mando and Baby Yoda back on time.

Disney+ has actually already released some new TV projects in the months since the shutdowns began, including Be Our Chef, Prop Culture, and Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian. Star Wars: The Clone Wars released new episodes on a weekly basis until the May 4 finale, and Love, Victor is scheduled for a June premiere. The Disney streamer has had fewer film offerings, but thanks to one movie switching from a theatrical release to a Disney+ debut, Artemis Fowl will be available streaming on Friday, June 12.

It's also worth noting that Disney+'s Falcon and the Winter Soldier MCU series may soon be able to start filming again, although only time will tell if it will still be able to make its intended August 2020 premiere date. WandaVision was slated for a December 2020 release. For now, the future of some of the biggest planned Disney+ series may be uncertain, but at least viewers can count on Disney+ not running out of content and not stopping production just because filming can't begin.

Of course, Disney+ boasts plenty of content to keep even the most diehard Disney fans busy between new releases. Between the movies and TV shows of Star Wars, decades of episodes of The Simpsons, many classic Disney movies, and more already available streaming, Disney+ is a solid source of entertainment. If, however, you're in the market for some non-Disney options, be sure to check out our 2020 summer premiere schedule.

Among the ways the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted our lives is forcing numerous businesses to close or, at the very least, reduce their overall output. The Walt Disney Company is no exception; from delaying various movies to shutting down its theme parks, the Mouse House has been weathering this coronavirus storm to the best of its abilities.

There’s no indication when things will start returning to normal across the world, but in the meantime, various Disney executives will be taking salary cuts. In the case of Bob Iger, who stepped down from being Disney’s CEO last month and is still working as the company’s executive chairman, he’s going all the way and forgoing 100% of his salary to help “shoulder the burden,” as mentioned in an email sent out to senior Disney executives (shared by reporter Scott Gustin).

Bob Iger’s CEO successor, Bob Chapek, sent out the email and said he will take a 50% salary cut for the foreseeable future. As for other executives, starting April 5, vice presidents will have their salaries reduced by 20%, senior vice presidents by 25%, and executive vice presidents and those in higher-ranking positions by 30%.

All this is being done until there is a “substantive recovery” in the Disney business. While Bob Chapek said that he is confident that he, the other executives and everyone working at the company will “get through this challenging period together and emerge even stronger,” it became necessary to take steps to “manage the short and long-term financial impact” on the Mouse House.

Along with announcing their temporary pay cuts, Bob Chapek also told the other executives to continue taking the necessary precautions to help flatten the coronavirus curve, which includes working from home, social distancing and frequently washing one’s hands. Chapek concluded the email by expressing gratitude for the employees’ “dedication and resilience” during this difficult time, and he’s hopeful that those at the The Walt Disney Company will “come through this crisis stronger than before.”

Like other studios, Disney’s had to make necessary sacrifices over the last several weeks to ensure the safety of both employees and consumers. Along with several movies that were about to come out, including Mulan and Black Widow, being pushed back, cinematic projects like the live-action Little Mermaid remake have shut down production indefinitely.

Then there are the Disney parks, which were initially supposed to reopen on April 1, but will now remain closed until further notice. For Disneyland, this marks only the third time that the theme park has shut down its operations, with those previous times only lasting a day or less. should be noted, though, that one can make a reservation online for Disneyland or Walt Disney World for June or later right now, possibly indicating when the parks intend to be back up and running.

Keep checking back with CinemaBlend for continuing coverage on how the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect Disney and the rest of the film and TV industry. For now, keep track of all the movies that have been postponed with our comprehensive guide.

The Disney board of directors has announced that Bob Iger will step down as the CEO. Bob Chapek will be taking his place effective immediately. It’s a shocking turn considering Iger still has almost two years left of his contract. However, Iger has announced he will use his remaining time with the media company to continue his role as Executive Chairman. Iger will resume leading Disney creatively and its board until December 31, 2021. Chapek will ease into the new title by assuming the day-to-day roles as the seventh Chief Executive Officer in the Walt Disney Company’s nearly 97-year history.

Following Disney’s recent launch of its own streaming platform in November and the $71 billion acquisition of 20th Century Fox last year, Bob Iger said he believes “this is the optimal time to transition to a new CEO.” Iger announced he will be working with Bob Chapek “closely” over the next 22 months he has left with the Walt Disney Company as he focuses on the creative side. Bob Chapek has been the chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products since 2018 and an employee at the company since 1993.

Bob Chapek was picked out at Disney’s next CEO early on, according to Bob Iger’s conference call with investors this afternoon shortly after the announcement (via Deadline). The board has been working on a succession plan for sometime, and Chapek has ”proven himself exceptionally qualified,” per Iger’s words. He explained further with this official statement:

Before becoming chairman of Disney Parks’ experiences and products, Bob Chapek was the chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts for three years. From 2011 to 2015, he was the president of Disney’s former consumer products segment. Chapek has also led Disney’s distribution and home entertainment wings in the past. Bob Chapek oversaw the expansion of Disney Parks, including in the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge – most recently with the debut of the immersive new attraction, Rise of Resistance.

Chapek is 60 years old and has commented to CNBC that he fully intends “to follow” the course Bob Iger has laid. Michael Nathanson, a senior research analyst at MoffettNathanson, called Chapek “probably the best qualified” person in the company to assume the role as CEO. Since the decision was revealed, Disney’s stock has fallen over 3.5%.

Bob Iger certainly has made some massive changes and growth to the Walt Disney Company since taking over for Michael Eisner back in 2005. He’s been behind the acquisition of several studios, including Pixar, Marvel and Lucasfilm. Iger also launched Shanghai Disneyland back in 2016, which is currently in the middle of an expensive shutdown due to the Coronavirus outbreak.

Bob Chapek commented that he was “honored and humbled” to assume the role of Disney’s new CEO. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more major updates concerning Disney.