UPDATE 1-Disney says president film production resigns
Management Shake-Up Continues at Disney
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Published: January 12, 2010
LOS ANGELES — The Walt Disney Company continues to slash and burn through the management ranks of its struggling motion picture studio as it works to return the division to profitability.
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Oren R. Aviv, the studio’s top movie production executive, resigned under pressure on Tuesday. Mr. Aviv, who had been at Disney for 19 years, was responsible for the development and production of live-action movies like the forthcoming “Alice in Wonderland” and “Tron Legacy.”
In a management realignment in November, Rich Ross, the recently installed chairman of Walt Disney Studios, ousted a dozen managers, including top marketing and publicity executives. Mr. Aviv was spared and given a public vote of confidence, with Mr. Ross praising him for his “terrific filmmaker relationships and creative expertise.”
But it is now clear that the retention of Mr. Aviv was more about keeping a modicum of stability atop the studio as Mr. Ross installed other changes. Mr. Ross has been charged by Robert A. Iger, Disney’s chief executive, with rethinking matters such as how the company markets its movies in the digital era and how it schedules the release of films on DVD and on-demand services.
Another reorganization — focusing on the home entertainment division — lies ahead. Mr. Ross is expected to hire a new production chief shortly. A search for a new marketing president is continuing.
“I’m proud of the hundreds of movies I’ve helped to make and market, especially the studio’s upcoming films,” Mr. Aviv said in a statement. “I wish Disney, Bob Iger, Rich Ross and their new teams great success.”
Mr. Aviv, well liked in Hollywood’s creative community, was particularly instrumental in pushing the “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “National Treasure” franchises.
Mr. Ross said in a statement, “Oren’s significant contributions to the Walt Disney Studios are well documented.”
The studio, which lost money in the last two quarters, has a busy few months ahead. Aside from “Alice,” directed by Tim Burton, and the “Tron” reboot, coming films include “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time” and “Toy Story 3.”
Tue Jan 12, 2010 1:47pm EST
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Management Shake-Up Continues at Disney
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LinkedinDiggFacebookMixxMySpaceYahoo! BuzzPermalink By BROOKS BARNES
Published: January 12, 2010
LOS ANGELES — The Walt Disney Company continues to slash and burn through the management ranks of its struggling motion picture studio as it works to return the division to profitability.
Skip to next paragraph Add to Portfolio
Disney, Walt, Co
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Oren R. Aviv, the studio’s top movie production executive, resigned under pressure on Tuesday. Mr. Aviv, who had been at Disney for 19 years, was responsible for the development and production of live-action movies like the forthcoming “Alice in Wonderland” and “Tron Legacy.”
In a management realignment in November, Rich Ross, the recently installed chairman of Walt Disney Studios, ousted a dozen managers, including top marketing and publicity executives. Mr. Aviv was spared and given a public vote of confidence, with Mr. Ross praising him for his “terrific filmmaker relationships and creative expertise.”
But it is now clear that the retention of Mr. Aviv was more about keeping a modicum of stability atop the studio as Mr. Ross installed other changes. Mr. Ross has been charged by Robert A. Iger, Disney’s chief executive, with rethinking matters such as how the company markets its movies in the digital era and how it schedules the release of films on DVD and on-demand services.
Another reorganization — focusing on the home entertainment division — lies ahead. Mr. Ross is expected to hire a new production chief shortly. A search for a new marketing president is continuing.
“I’m proud of the hundreds of movies I’ve helped to make and market, especially the studio’s upcoming films,” Mr. Aviv said in a statement. “I wish Disney, Bob Iger, Rich Ross and their new teams great success.”
Mr. Aviv, well liked in Hollywood’s creative community, was particularly instrumental in pushing the “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “National Treasure” franchises.
Mr. Ross said in a statement, “Oren’s significant contributions to the Walt Disney Studios are well documented.”
The studio, which lost money in the last two quarters, has a busy few months ahead. Aside from “Alice,” directed by Tim Burton, and the “Tron” reboot, coming films include “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time” and “Toy Story 3.”
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The Walt Disney Company
DIS.N
$30.82
-0.54-1.72%
12:00am CST
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* Latest in management shake-up
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* Disney says successor to be named at an appropriate time
(includes background, analyst quote)
LOS ANGELES, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co (DIS.N) on Tuesday said Oren Aviv was resigning his post of president, Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production in the latest management reshuffle at the company's film studio.
The departure of Aviv, a 20-year veteran, follows other high-level changes in recent months.
Rich Ross, credited with turning the Disney Channel into a powerhouse of "tween" programming aimed at 7-to-12-year-olds, took over Disney's film studio in October after the abrupt departure of Disney Studios Chairman ________ Cook in September.
Disney said a successor for Aviv would be named at an appropriate time.
Disney shares fell 58 cents or 1.85 percent to $30.78 a share on the New York Stock Exchange.
"They are looking at the way they do business and are looking at the teams," said RBC Capital Markets analyst David Bank.
"I think there will be more changes at Disney due to the need to drive better cost control and a higher return on invested capital on content they produce," he added, noting that he considered Disney's latest films "A Christmas Carol" and "The Princess and The Frog" both disappointments. (Reporting by Susan Zeidler, editing by Leslie Gevirtz)
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Management Shake-Up Continues at Disney
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LinkedinDiggFacebookMixxMySpaceYahoo! BuzzPermalink By BROOKS BARNES
Published: January 12, 2010
LOS ANGELES — The Walt Disney Company continues to slash and burn through the management ranks of its struggling motion picture studio as it works to return the division to profitability.
Skip to next paragraph Add to Portfolio
Disney, Walt, Co
Go to your Portfolio »
Oren R. Aviv, the studio’s top movie production executive, resigned under pressure on Tuesday. Mr. Aviv, who had been at Disney for 19 years, was responsible for the development and production of live-action movies like the forthcoming “Alice in Wonderland” and “Tron Legacy.”
In a management realignment in November, Rich Ross, the recently installed chairman of Walt Disney Studios, ousted a dozen managers, including top marketing and publicity executives. Mr. Aviv was spared and given a public vote of confidence, with Mr. Ross praising him for his “terrific filmmaker relationships and creative expertise.”
But it is now clear that the retention of Mr. Aviv was more about keeping a modicum of stability atop the studio as Mr. Ross installed other changes. Mr. Ross has been charged by Robert A. Iger, Disney’s chief executive, with rethinking matters such as how the company markets its movies in the digital era and how it schedules the release of films on DVD and on-demand services.
Another reorganization — focusing on the home entertainment division — lies ahead. Mr. Ross is expected to hire a new production chief shortly. A search for a new marketing president is continuing.
“I’m proud of the hundreds of movies I’ve helped to make and market, especially the studio’s upcoming films,” Mr. Aviv said in a statement. “I wish Disney, Bob Iger, Rich Ross and their new teams great success.”
Mr. Aviv, well liked in Hollywood’s creative community, was particularly instrumental in pushing the “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “National Treasure” franchises.
Mr. Ross said in a statement, “Oren’s significant contributions to the Walt Disney Studios are well documented.”
The studio, which lost money in the last two quarters, has a busy few months ahead. Aside from “Alice,” directed by Tim Burton, and the “Tron” reboot, coming films include “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time” and “Toy Story 3.”
Tue Jan 12, 2010 1:47pm EST
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Management Shake-Up Continues at Disney
Sign in to Recommend
Sign In to E-Mail
Reprints
Share
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LinkedinDiggFacebookMixxMySpaceYahoo! BuzzPermalink By BROOKS BARNES
Published: January 12, 2010
LOS ANGELES — The Walt Disney Company continues to slash and burn through the management ranks of its struggling motion picture studio as it works to return the division to profitability.
Skip to next paragraph Add to Portfolio
Disney, Walt, Co
Go to your Portfolio »
Oren R. Aviv, the studio’s top movie production executive, resigned under pressure on Tuesday. Mr. Aviv, who had been at Disney for 19 years, was responsible for the development and production of live-action movies like the forthcoming “Alice in Wonderland” and “Tron Legacy.”
In a management realignment in November, Rich Ross, the recently installed chairman of Walt Disney Studios, ousted a dozen managers, including top marketing and publicity executives. Mr. Aviv was spared and given a public vote of confidence, with Mr. Ross praising him for his “terrific filmmaker relationships and creative expertise.”
But it is now clear that the retention of Mr. Aviv was more about keeping a modicum of stability atop the studio as Mr. Ross installed other changes. Mr. Ross has been charged by Robert A. Iger, Disney’s chief executive, with rethinking matters such as how the company markets its movies in the digital era and how it schedules the release of films on DVD and on-demand services.
Another reorganization — focusing on the home entertainment division — lies ahead. Mr. Ross is expected to hire a new production chief shortly. A search for a new marketing president is continuing.
“I’m proud of the hundreds of movies I’ve helped to make and market, especially the studio’s upcoming films,” Mr. Aviv said in a statement. “I wish Disney, Bob Iger, Rich Ross and their new teams great success.”
Mr. Aviv, well liked in Hollywood’s creative community, was particularly instrumental in pushing the “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “National Treasure” franchises.
Mr. Ross said in a statement, “Oren’s significant contributions to the Walt Disney Studios are well documented.”
The studio, which lost money in the last two quarters, has a busy few months ahead. Aside from “Alice,” directed by Tim Burton, and the “Tron” reboot, coming films include “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time” and “Toy Story 3.”
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Stocks
The Walt Disney Company
DIS.N
$30.82
-0.54-1.72%
12:00am CST
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<SCRIPT type=text/javascript> <!-- Exception rendering module on server --> </SCRIPT>
* Latest in management shake-up
Stocks
* Disney says successor to be named at an appropriate time
(includes background, analyst quote)
LOS ANGELES, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co (DIS.N) on Tuesday said Oren Aviv was resigning his post of president, Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production in the latest management reshuffle at the company's film studio.
The departure of Aviv, a 20-year veteran, follows other high-level changes in recent months.
Rich Ross, credited with turning the Disney Channel into a powerhouse of "tween" programming aimed at 7-to-12-year-olds, took over Disney's film studio in October after the abrupt departure of Disney Studios Chairman ________ Cook in September.
Disney said a successor for Aviv would be named at an appropriate time.
Disney shares fell 58 cents or 1.85 percent to $30.78 a share on the New York Stock Exchange.
"They are looking at the way they do business and are looking at the teams," said RBC Capital Markets analyst David Bank.
"I think there will be more changes at Disney due to the need to drive better cost control and a higher return on invested capital on content they produce," he added, noting that he considered Disney's latest films "A Christmas Carol" and "The Princess and The Frog" both disappointments. (Reporting by Susan Zeidler, editing by Leslie Gevirtz)
Stocks
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