The Disney Thread | Happy 90th to Donald Duck!

[Joyous Legion]

Iger will hang in there until the next saga finale, then have to come back when phase 7 tanks. 2026 is the new 2019, buckle up for frozen 3 and TS5

[grim22]

 

[Porthos]

LAT, WSJ and probably everyone else already all over this.

 

From WSJ:
 

 

Quote

Several top Disney executives first learned the news that Mr. Iger was returning after they read his Sunday email, while some of them were together attending an Elton John concert at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles that was streamed live on Disney’s flagship streaming service Disney+, according to people familiar with the matter.

 

Some of the people who were expected to attend the concert included Dana Walden, head of general entertainment content, Craig Erwich, head of content for the Hulu streaming service, Ayo Davis, head of Disney Branded Television and newly-appointed Disney+ President Alisa Bowen, the people said.

Mr. Chapek was also expected to attend the event and the company had planned for him to introduce Mr. John from the stage before the concert, according to two people with knowledge of the plans, though it isn’t clear if Mr. Chapek attended, they said. Other Disney employees said they were baffled by Mr. Iger’s Sunday email and immediately began asking if the message to employees was real or if it came from a hacked email account.

 

Negotiations between Mr. Iger and the board to return as CEO were initiated only in recent days, according to a person familiar with the talks. Mr. Iger has said publicly on at least two occasions over the last year that he isn’t interested in returning to Disney. In recent months, he has focused on investing in and advising startups, particularly in the technology industry.

 

As noted at the bottom of the quote, WSJ is backing up NYT's reporting of the recency of all of this, but couched it in "recent days".

 

Also, dude, getting fired at an Elton John concert (or on your way there) where you're scheduled to introduce him is a hell of a way to go out!  

Edited November 21, 2022 by Porthos

[HouseOfTheSun]

In the end the CEO answers to the Board. And Chapek paid the price   

[snarkmachine]

55 minutes ago, excel1 said:

Bob needs to get under the radar MVP Zenia Mucha back asap. She largely crafted his image.

 

That profile where she tells a journalist off for quoting Bob as saying “gonna” instead of “going to” is so funny lol

Edited November 21, 2022 by snarkmachine

[filmlover]

6 minutes ago, Porthos said:

Also, dude, getting fired at an Elton John concert (or on your way there) where you're scheduled to introduce him is a hell of a way to go out!  

This is iconic tbh. 

[Joyous Legion]

4 minutes ago, snarkmachine said:

 

That profile where she tells a journalist off for quoting Bob as saying “gonna” instead of “going to” is so funny lol

Sauce?

[dudalb]

2 hours ago, Porthos said:

WOW!

 

Legitimately shocked right now.

Not srurpised that CHapek is gone...iMHO he just made too  many enemiesm and it's not good fo a CEO to do that...am surprised that Iger came out of retirement. I guess he felt a heavy emotional tie to Disney, and felt he had no choice but to step back in.

But nothing like this has happened in  Hollywood isnce Zanuck returned t Fox in the wake of the Cleopatra debacle.

[dudalb]

1 hour ago, Porthos said:

 

Dude, I'm telling you, it was the reaction to the earnings report.  In a "starw that broke the camel's back" sort of way.

 

Even a couple of weeks before that, he was out making major press appearances without a hint of backroom drama.  Remember that infamous WSJ interview about adults and animation?  Someone who says that isn't working on a way out in the background.

I think earning report was what triggered this also.

Strange world play a minor, if any role inthis decisions.

Chapek got off to bad start by making so many enemeis so early.

And I see a number of people on line are making the "Zanuck returning to Fox t clean up" comprasion.

[Cap]

 

[cookie]

1 hour ago, Porthos said:

This was indeed VERY quick and sudden:

 

 

 

Thursday!

THURSDAY!!!!!

 

Also in that NYT piece:

 

Chapek really was that fucking clueless LMAO, good riddance

Edited November 21, 2022 by cookie

[Cap]

55 minutes ago, filmlover said:

This is iconic tbh. 

Hey, he said Don’t Say Gay, so obvi the universe said “Okay; you won’t!”

[Porthos]

2 minutes ago, Cap said:

Hey, he said Don’t Say Gay, so obvi the universe said “Okay; you won’t!”

 

 

 

 

[JWR]

6 hours ago, Porthos said:

WOW!

 

Legitimately shocked right now.

 

I didn't think he'd be gone this fast.

[CloneWars]

Thank fucking god. Chapek sucked and needed to go a long time ago. Honestly, I think Kevin Feige threatened to leave and the Board was like fuck no. 

[Porthos]

4 hours ago, lorddemaxus said:

So more interested with whats happening to Chapek? Completely kicked out?

 

Non meme answer: He Gone.

 

 

 

 

 

This is a third source that has the timeline more or less matching up.  Putting all the pieces together, looks like contact/feelers sent to Iger on Thur, formal offer to Iger on Sat, Iger accepted and Chapek fired on Sun.

 

No wonder there was no time for leaks to happen (especially with the entertainment press ratcheting down in preparation for Thanksgiving).

Edited November 21, 2022 by Porthos

[JWR]

 

 

[IronJimbo]

oh no! not the guy who actively got in Jim's way. That guy was my favourite guy i'm so sad he's gone.

[JWR]

I wonder what finally did him in?

[Porthos]

13 minutes ago, JWR said:

I wonder what finally did him in?

 

From most things I've been able to piece together it was the earnings report and everything that was surrounding that which was the proverbial straw which broke the camel's back.

 

While it's mostly from anonymous sourcing, it does seem to add up.

 

Chapek wasn't acting like someone about to be fired (i.e. he wasn't acting like there was any sort of informal transition/CEO search already underway).

There were practically no leaks about him being axed/pushed aside.

The Disney board, apparently, moved incredibly quickly.

 

So I ask you, what changed in the last month or so?  While I suppose it isn't definitive, the earnings report certainly seems like Suspect Number One.

 

(check my posts from the last few hours for various links on this)