Rumor Hollywood insiders say there's growing tension at Disney as CEO Bob Chapek chafes at Bob Iger's 'long goodbye'

[jpinkc]

Hopefully they CHOOSE SOON!!!!!

 

[jpinkc]

The only problem compared to the 80s is there’s not many old school Disney staff left. Eisner and co were external but there was a big pool of people like Roy jnr, Marty Sklar and others on both the movie and park sides who knew and understood what Disney was. Today I’m not sure if new management would have the same talent pool to draw on -no Tony Baxter, JoeRhode or Glen Keanes for example. On the other hand maybe people like Filoni, Faverau, Fiegie and Docter will be free to be more creative and drive the next renaissance

Again I say from your lips to Walts ears, chew the big guy in heavens ears a bit Walt maybe slip him some free fastpasses and ears

 

[lazyboy97o]

You don’t need a creative in charge, you just need someone who respects the creatives and their medium. Marvel Studios has largely flourished because it has held off meddling. Parks though went 20+ years being run by people with cursory experience, placed there specifically because they were not parks people.

 

[skypilot2922]

The only problem compared to the 80s is there’s not many old school Disney staff left. Eisner and co were external but there was a big pool of people like Roy jnr, Marty Sklar and others on both the movie and park sides who knew and understood what Disney was. Today I’m not sure if new management would have the same talent pool to draw on -no Tony Baxter, JoeRhode or Glen Keanes for example. On the other hand maybe people like Filoni, Faverau, Fiegie and Docter will be free to be more creative and drive the next renaissance

What is needed is someone like Joe Rohde as CCO with a equally powerful CFO who jointly exercise the CEO role, Joe can think in 3 dimensions and has an understanding of what it takes to convert an idea to steel and concrete, The other guys are film guys where 'anything is possible' on film but that leads to disaster in the real world

 

[The Grand Inquisitor]

What is needed is someone like Joe Rohde as CCO with a equally powerful CFO who jointly exercise the CEO role, Joe can think in 3 dimensions and has an understanding of what it takes to convert an idea to steel and concrete, The other guys are film guys where 'anything is possible' on film but that leads to disaster in the real world

Honestly that would be awesome if Chapek hires Rhode back. But alas it will probably not happen.

 

[rk03221]

Anyone on these forums who complained about iger being bad (which he wasn’t) is going to be in for a big wake up call

 

[Ponderer]

You don’t need a creative in charge, you just need someone who respects the creatives and their medium. Marvel Studios has largely flourished because it has held off meddling. Parks though went 20+ years being run by people with cursory experience, placed there specifically because they were not parks people.

All I know is if Marvel started to consistently suffer and Feige wanted him gone, Chapek would have to go. Feige is the lever. He’s respected with talent, the public, and he’s been a license to print money.

And by all reports, he’s not happy.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Anyone on these forums who complained about iger being bad (which he wasn’t) is going to be in for a big wake up call

So Iger was not bad but just picked a bad successor who is mostly continuing what Iger was doing?

 

[skypilot2922]

So Iger was not bad but just picked a bad successor who is mostly continuing what Iger was doing?

The old truism that A level people hire A level people and B level people hire C level people appears to be operative here, My guess is that Zenia Mucha is the real brains of the operation.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I have no idea if it's Iger (I wouldn't think so for various reasons), but someone is definitely trying to force Chapek out/make him a scapegoat. We wouldn't have all these stories coming out in the media otherwise.

They're right that allowing the ScarJo situation to devolve into a public lawsuit was a pretty big blunder, though, if only from a PR standpoint and how it could affect relationships with talent agencies/other stars.

Yes, that is my big takeaway from this. Someone is feeding negative stories about Chapek in which Iger looks good to someone for some reason.

I will say that this is bringing me back to the Eisner days when he/Disney always seemed to be engaged in some sort of public fight with someone. If this happened during the Iger days, he was a lot better at keeping a lid on things.

This isn’t much of a Hollywood mystery…

So tension stories and “failure” quips start coming out just as iger’s two goon/hench people “retire”???

don’t need Sherlock to see where this is coming from

At this point, anyone within the company would be just as bad.

They're all the same people who have been building towards this mess for decades.

The only way for major change to happen is for someone to come in from the outside.

Correct…and what I love…predictably…is that peeps have latched on to the new parks guy as a “hidden gem”

based on what? Cause you need someone. Josh “the face” reminds me of a former guy in that job…who is out doing something/somewhere in worn banana republic pants now.

 

[mikejs78]

Makes me think that the primary goal here isn't revenue, it's to change guest behavior by weaning them off of FastPass and conditioning them to wait standby for everything.

I think about the resort parking fee the same way. Sure, they're happy to collect those fees, but they'd be even happier if they convinced people to stop renting cars entirely.

You don't want a creative CEO, you want a powerful CCO.

CEOs are administrators. HR, legal, compliance, government relations, investor relations, etc. Actual creative talent would be wasted in that role.

Roy was CEO from the very beginning. Walt was President, but only until 1945 when he turned that title over to Roy. After that he was a board member (he even resigned as chairman of the board) and had the title "executive producer in charge of all production" until his death.

So Eisner was the only creative CEO TWDC ever had.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

So Iger was not bad but just picked a bad successor who is mostly continuing what Iger was doing?

I can bring everyone up to speed:

1. Eisner was under appreciated…but needed to go.
2. Iger was vastly overrated…but needed to go
3. Slaphead is not qualified at all and will be in a constant state of “hanging on” as long as he lasts
4. The board will never be allowed to appoint a creative Again…because creativity hurts the quarterlies and the street won’t have it. Costs too much.

 

[skypilot2922]

This isn’t much of a Hollywood mystery…

So tension stories and “failure” quips start coming out just as iger’s two goon/hench people “retire”???

don’t need Sherlock to see where this is coming from

Correct…and what I love…predictably…is that peeps have latched on to the new parks guy as a “hidden gem”

based on what? Cause you need someone. Josh “the face” reminds me of a former guy in that job…who is out doing something/somewhere in w banana republic pants now.

Josh seems like a nice guy but in reality he's a 'corporate spokesmodel' with no real power, All real power resides with the Bob's. Maybe Josh gets some power after the Bob's depart. for that one needs a fortune teller and a crystal ball neither of which I have.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

You don't want a creative CEO, you want a powerful CCO.

CEOs are administrators. HR, legal, compliance, government relations, investor relations, etc. Actual creative talent would be wasted in that role.

That’s wrong and how we got here…

you want the artist at the top…and the “fixer” at #2…

there are reasons why that works. No need to reinvent the wheel.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Josh seems like a nice guy but in reality he's a 'corporate spokesmodel' with no real power, All real power resides with the Bob's. Maybe Josh gets some power after the Bob's depart. for that one needs a fortune teller and a crystal ball neither of which I have.

Pressler

 

[mikejs78]

Keeping Scarlett Johansson happy is nowhere near the top of the Board's priorities and the lawsuit won't exactly sink the company.

No, but keeping Kevin Feige happy probably is and losing him would be a huge financial blow.

 

[mikejs78]

That’s wrong and how we got here…

you want the artist at the top…and the “fixer” at #2…

there are reasons why that works. No need to reinvent the wheel.

What makes you think that's the only way that works? Roy was the CEO and Walt was basically CCO... That worked pretty well.

 

[skypilot2922]

That’s wrong and how we got here…

you want the artist at the top…and the “fixer” at #2…

there are reasons why that works. No need to reinvent the wheel.

Artist's job while at investor days is to smile and defer policy questions to the fixer, The fixer's job is to be seen at creative meetings and privately remind the artist of the resources available to implement a vision. Effectively they speak with one voice each speaking when the question or issue is in their specific domain. The two of them have to be simpatico and almost literally joined at the hip.

 

[skypilot2922]

What makes you think that's the only way that works? Roy was the CEO and Walt was basically CCO... That worked pretty well.

I think that's exactly what he meant just saying it differently is all.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

What makes you think that's the only way that works? Roy was the CEO and Walt was basically CCO... That worked pretty well.

Think of it this way:

the creative gives the “vision” speeches and scares the out of the bankers…that’s their archetype…

…then the fixer goes around to each one and calms them down.

they end up meeting In the middle and that yields progress…no winners or losers.

if you reverse it…the CCO/is completely irrelevant as the #2…you end up with dunder mifflin…without the parties

I was more thinking of Eisner/Wells…

Wells was a studio exec with a thorough dealings in the power/money structure of Hollywood

Eisner was the screwball that searched for scripts and came up with schoolhouse rock.

The Disneys too…

It works that way…the paradox insulated them
Both and gave them more autonomy from
“Market forces”