Amid speculation, the Josh D’Amaro Disney CEO narrative strengthens while other contenders face political and industry hurdles.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Josh D’Amaro Disney CEO rumors indictyae that he has the inside track to become the new CEO of The Walt Disney Company. It sounds like Dana Walden has faded from the running a bit based on being associated with certain groups.
Producer Amy Baer, who started her career at CAA before becoming president of CBS Films, says: “The film and TV business has changed so drastically that I don’t know the profile of the next generation of leaders. There are so many big open questions. It used to be easy to see who would get the top jobs because the way movies and television were made and distributed was predictable. Nothing is predictable anymore.”
The Hollywood Reporter (THR) story suggests that this may be why Disney appeared to botch the last CEO hiring, unless one believes the narrative that Chapek was set up to fail. Wanting to avoid another debacle, in January, the Disney board added James Gorman, chairman emeritus of Morgan Stanley, to oversee the search, which remains opaque even to high-level Disney insiders.
Josh D’Amaro Disney CEO
According to THR, Still, sources say that D’Amaro — the parks and experiences chief — is now in pole position. The 54-year-old was already overseeing a $60 billion expansion of the parks business before Abu Dhabi — Disney’s first new park since 2016 — was announced in May. He is also overseeing Disney’s expansion into video games via a billion-dollar deal with Epic (the maker of Fortnite), which Iger views as a legacy project.
Cloud of Bob Chapek
“One hurdle for D’Amaro is the continuing fallout from Chapek’s disastrous run. Before his ascension, he also was the parks guy, and that showed in his inability to communicate with top Hollywood talent and their gatekeepers. D’Amaro has publicly tried to highlight the personal relationships he has with creatives to try to preempt that criticism.
By contrast, Walden, the longtime television executive who has been rumored as a potential frontrunner since Iger returned, is a popular well-known figure within Hollywood’s talent community. As Disney’s first female CEO, her appointment also would carry major symbolic weight. One impediment for Walden, however, is her close friendship with Kamala Harris (which had been a boon just a few years ago). Given the vindictiveness of the Trump administration, it’s hard not to see the relationship as a potential liability, unfair as that may be.”
According to THR, “Rounding out the shortlist of top internal candidates are Alan Bergman, co-chairman of Disney Entertainment, and ESPN honcho Jimmy Pitaro. The 58-year-old Bergman is a company man, having joined back in 1996, and is regarded as sharp and skilled at overseeing a portfolio that includes Marvel, Pixar, Walt Disney Animation and Lucasfilm. But replacing Iger — an unmatched brand ambassador who looks like talent — probably requires a magnetism that Bergman can’t match (a liability he’s said to be aware of).”
Obstacles for Josh D’Amaro Disney CEO Race
“This is the problem at Disney: How can you expect someone from theme parks to understand the process of making television and film? And how can you expect someone from television and film to understand how to work with the Chinese government?” says Stephen Galloway, dean of Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts. “What’s the old saying — nobody knows anything. In this case, it’s nobody knows everything.”
There is still time before a decision on replacing Bob Iger as Disney CEO will need to be made. However, the evidence suggests that D’Amaro will be given every chance to earn it.
For more theme park-related news and information, visit MSM News.
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