Variety: Kevin Feige Refuses to Lead Lucasfilm, Conflict Rising at Disney

At the end of 2023 in the company Disney general cleaning is expected, which is associated with a change of leadership. Edition Variety with reference to their sources, shared the details processes taking place inside Mickey Mouse houses

Coup in the Kingdom of Mouse

So, journalists announced the conflict between the president of Disney Bob Chapek and chairman of the board of directors Bob Iger… The latter left the post of head of the company on the eve of the global pandemic in 2023, so many believed that Chapek was completely under his control.

According to four insiders, the once warm and trusting relationship between the two top executives is now strained. The cause of the conflict is called a global reorganization at Disney, led by Chapek, while Iger was pushed into the background.

As chairman of the board of directors, Bob Iger planned to focus on creative activities within the Mickey Mouse House. But Bob Chapek not only ignores such meetings, but also holds his meetings with creative groups, gradually strengthening his authority and showing more and more independence.

Initially, the new president did not dare to interfere in the creative processes, because the first priority was to save the entire business in a pandemic. But his management style has received positive reviews. Chapek prefers to delegate some of his powers to his subordinates, while Iger liked to discuss various initiatives. Moreover, under him, the executives responsible for distributing Disney films and shows became more influential than the executives who were responsible for producing projects.

This led to the strengthening of the chairman of the board of directors Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution Karim Danielwho is the main ally of the new head of the House of Mickey Mouse. Here comes the chapter Fx John Landgrave and the chairman Disney General Entertainment Content Peter Rice lost control of profits and losses, which hit their pride hard. Under Aiger, creatives had the greatest authority and courage, but under Czapek they cannot boast of their numbers, because all the glory goes to distributors.

Bob Iger will permanently leave Disney in late 2023. Market players expect chief creative officer to leave with him Walt disney studios Alan Horn, which will inevitably provoke tectonic shifts in the Mickey Mouse House. It was Horn who patched the holes left by the deafening financial failures of such costly projects as “The lone ranger“(The lone ranger) and “John Carter(John Carter). He also had to restore relations with the team, which ruined the ex-head. Disney channel Rich Rosswho managed to quarrel with the studio management Pixar

Apparently, Alan Horn’s powers will be assumed by the chairman Disney Studios Content Alan Bergman… Top managers ran Walt Disney Studios together, and during the pandemic Horn delegated some of the powers to Bergman. Only the first has developed a creative flair, while the second focused on business issues.

Lucasfilm problem

After Alan Horn leaves, Alan Bergman will have an important task – to get the internal divisions to work together. This is a challenging mission given the competition between the president Pixar Jim Morris and chief creative director of the studio Pete Docter, head Lucasfilm Kathleen Kennedy and head Marvel Kevin Feige… Of these, the last is considered the most influential. However, Bergman was able to earn the respect of all four executives, so it is unlikely that they will be ready to report to someone else.

Variety has been careful about the Lucasfilm issue. In the fall of 2023, Kathleen Kennedy’s contract expires. Publicly Bob Chapek expressed support the head of the studio in charge of the franchise “star Wars“(Star Wars), but so far no one can say for sure what will happen in the coming months.

In 2019, it was announced that Kevin Feige would be producing a new movie set in the Star Wars universe. It looked like a direct encroachment on Kennedy’s property. In addition, some insiders called the head of Marvel a “gray eminence”, allegedly advising the showrunner. “Mandalorian“(The mandalorian) Jonah Favreau… Suspicions were reinforced by the fact that the latter’s team included many people who worked on superhero films, including directors Taiku Waititi and Paul Rudd

Therefore, the theory arose that it was Kevin Feige who would replace Kathleen Kennedy as head of Lucasfilm. However, Variety sources claim that the top manager does not have such ambitions. He is now fully focused on managing Marvel.

Journalists write that Pixar, Lucasfilm and Marvel allegedly do not need creative oversight from above. So Bergman can focus on rebooting other franchises. In particular, they mention “Pirates of the Caribbean“(Pirates of the caribbean).

Czapek needs to win the “streaming war”. During the pandemic, the audience stopped going to cinemas and watching cable TV. But people began to spend more money on subscription services, which sparked the revitalization of numerous competitors to Disney +.

“Studios don’t look like studios anymore,” complained one of the veteran producers.

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