Iger Reinventing Disney

This LA Times piece looks at the "house-cleaning" being done by Disney CEO Bob Iger as the various executives either were let go, and switched jobs. The most dramatic changes, of course, have been at the Disney Studios branch of the company.

First, it's an incredibly clear sign that Iger is reinventing his studio without any real concern for industry tradition or what the town, much less the top creative talent at the studio, thinks about the new executive lineup. For years, Cook was able to run Disney with autonomy, keeping Iger and his new ideas about distribution and branding at bay. But now, as one industry pal said Tuesday morning after hearing the news of Aviv's ouster, "it's like the Huns are sacking the crusaders' castle." Anyone viewed as a Cook loyalist is being ushered out the door.

As a Disney fan (and stockholder), I'm not sure yet on what to make of the recent changes. I'm willing to give this a lot of time to evolve. The Disney brand of movies have not had that much success lately, both financially and critically. The live-action movies have been dismal at best. We will have to see in 2 or 3 years how this will turn out, since it will probably take that long for the decisions being made by the new management on what movies to be made will start coming into the pipeline.

Zz.