Alan Horn will retire as chief creative officer of Disney Studios Content at The Walt Disney Company. He will step down from the company as of December 31 along with Disney Chairman Bob Iger who is also leaving the company in December.
Horn joined Disney in 2012 when he was named Chairman of The Walt Disney Studios, becoming Co-Chairman and Chief Creative Officer in 2019. With a career spanning nearly 50 years, Horn is one of the industry’s most influential and respected executives. He served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Warner Bros. from 1999 to 2011, during which it was the top-performing studio at the global box office seven times and released numerous critically acclaimed films and box office hits including the “Harry Potter” series, “Batman Begins,” “The Dark Knight,” “The Departed,” “Million Dollar Baby,” and the “Ocean’s Eleven” trilogy. He co-founded Castle Rock Entertainment, where as Chairman from 1987 to 1999 he oversaw a diverse collection of popular, acclaimed film and TV properties including “A Few Good Men,” “The Shawshank Redemption,” “When Harry Met Sally,” and “Seinfeld.” He also served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation from 1985 to 1986 after getting his start in the media business in 1973 at Norman Lear and Jerry Perenchio’s Embassy Communications, where he ultimately held the role of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.
He led the Walt Disney Studios as chairman from June 2012 to May 2019, when he transitioned to co-chairman and chief creative officer alongside co-chairman Alan Bergman. Since January 2021, Horn has served as chief creative officer of Disney Studios Content (formerly the Walt Disney Studios) alongside Bergman as chairman.
Horn led many successful projects during his tenure at The Walt Disney Company including Disney’s live-action “Beauty and the Beast,” “Aladdin,” and “The Lion King”; Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Frozen,” “Zootopia,” and “Frozen 2”; Pixar’s “Coco,” “Incredibles 2,” and “Toy Story 4”; Lucasfilm’s “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” and “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker”; and Marvel Studios’ “Black Panther,” “Captain Marvel,” “Avengers: Infinity War,” and “Avengers: Endgame,” the latter of which is the highest grossing global release of all time.
“It has been my great privilege and pleasure to be able to spend these past 50 years helping creative people tell stories that move, entertain, and connect audiences around the world – and a dream come true to have the chance to do it at Disney, no less,” said Horn. “I’m deeply thankful to Bob Iger for the opportunity he gave me and to Alan Bergman for being an incredible partner throughout this adventure, as well as to Bob Chapek for his steady leadership during these unprecedented times. I also must recognize the extraordinary leaders of our individual studios as well as our business teams and every single one of our fantastic team members. It’s never easy to say goodbye to a place you love, which is why I’ve done it slowly, but with Alan Bergman leading the way, I’m confident the incredible Studios team will keep putting magic out there for years to come.”
“Throughout an illustrious career spanning nearly five decades, Alan has had a profound impact on the entertainment industry and audiences worldwide,” said Iger. “We have been very fortunate to have Alan at the helm of our Studio for nearly a decade, presiding over an unprecedented period of growth and exceptional storytelling, while solidifying his reputation as one of the industry’s true icons. Like so many, I will be forever grateful for his strong support, wise counsel, and enduring friendship.”
“It has truly been a privilege to work with Alan over the years,” said Chapek. “He’s led an exceptionally talented Studio team that is the best in the industry, creating some of the most beloved and iconic films of our time, and he will forever be a cherished member of our Disney family.”
“Alan Horn is one of a kind, and we were fortunate that he chose to bring his talents to our Studios,” said Bergman. “He has been one of the most important mentors I’ve ever had, and we’re both very proud of what we’ve been able to do in our time together at the Studios leading this terrific team. I simply can’t thank him enough.”
No plans have been made to replace Horn at this time.
Source: Variety