Weinsteins Want Miramax Name Back 
'Saw 3D' vs 'Paranormal Activity 2' Battle … 
TV TUG OF WAR: It's Ellen vs Simon, And … 
Robert De Niro Returns To CAA From WME; Jane … 
Fox Wins Studio War For Robert Rodriguez' … 
Weinstein Co Gets "New Lease On Life"? 
Nicole Kidman Hires Angelina's Manager 
So What Are The Hot Films At Sundance? 
Huge $70M Settlement In TV Writers Age … 
TOLDJA! Momoa Chosen 'Conan' Barbarian 
Oscar Campaign Badmouthing Has Begun! 
EXCLUSIVE: Mark Zoradi, Walt Disney Moton Pictures Group President who oversaw marketing and distribution for the U.S. and international and therefore one of the most powerful execs in that field in the world,, is out. He's been associated with Disney for 29 years. He was a close pal of ousted Dick Cook's and now the new Walt Disney Studios boss Rich Ross gets to pick his own person.
UPDATE: Here is Mark Zoradi's statement to his group:
Dear Team:
I am stepping down from my role as President of The Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Group effective immediately. Adequately communicating my thoughts and feelings to the teams of people I have admired and worked so close with seems an impossible task.
Since beginning with the Company to help start our Home Video group in 1980, to the launch of the Disney Channel, the development of our TV syndication business, the birth of our international theatrical self distribution effort, and our world wide theatrical group, I have truly enjoyed my time at the Studio. Many milestones were achieved and hurdles overcome and I am so proud to have been a part of such an outstanding group of people. That is what I will always cherish and fondly remember the most……the people, relationships, and friends. It was a magical time at Disney, driven by the most dedicated and talented team of individuals.
I most sincerely wish each of you the very best.
Mark
Loading ...
I used to work for him at BVI… Really good guy. Wondering what the reasons are for his departure…
Same here, worked at BVI back in the 90’s as a junior staff, and Mark was kind enough to sit and talk with me for 15 minutes when I visited LA, and he extended the professional courtesy that was rare in the trade after learning I was leaving for a competitor. A true gentleman and a professional executive who will be missed by colleagues and competitors alike…
They had to blame someone for Carol opening soft
The witchhunt for dick cook’s people is on. Sad days at the house of mickey. Goes to prove that more and more corporate administrators don’t work for the corporation’s interests but for their own personal agendas, placing cronies and yes-men in places where competent professionals are needed. This starts to look like the bush administration.
I used to work for him at BVI… Really good guy. Wondering what the reasons are for his departure…
Meet the new regime. No reason to keep the old regime.
Also, a former Buena Vista employee, and glad they pushed him out. He was too comfortable there, and with his knowledge, experience and taste, he should’ve been running the joint or another joint a long time ago.
I’ve worked with him in the past as well. He’s exactly the kind of person you’d expect to be at Disney: Upstanding, generous, kind, smart, and thoughtful. Sad to see so many great people leaving Disney.
I remember Mark from my time at Disney Character Voices, International. Though I was but low-level coordinator, the man always spoke to me whenever I saw him.
What a nice guy. And truly, the end of an era.
I remember Mark during my time at Disney Character Voices, International. Though I was only a low-level coordinator, the man always said hi to me.
What a nice guy. Truly the end of an era.
i second The Dude – Mark is a really nice guy, as was Dick. Here’s to the new Disney regime. May they be more nice Selena Gomez than slutty and catty Myley…
Rich Ross….go get em. The movie business is fat and bloated. It’s in desperate need of a major cleanse. Nice work thus far.
The debacle that is A Christmas Carol has had quite an impact on the company. It was a very expensive film, released too early, with some of the worst reviews of any major expensive film in ages. Zemeckis is a nasty guy who hates interaction with people, and the now slowly departing Disney Gang had blessed this egomaniac’s expensive adventures. A friend made a great comment to me last night after seeing the film–they said how terrific it could have been as a live action film with all those great stars, Carrey, Oldman, Hoskins, etc. This is very true! And if would have cost a third of the amount!It will be amazing to see who next will back one of these motion capture adventures. A very expensive film that is released too too early and under performs….hhmmmmmmmm…..I wonder who is responsible for this one.
At the Mouse House, two weeks’ notice to terminated employees seems unnecessary. At least to CEO Iger.
Has a replacement for Ross at the Disney Channel been named?
@The Dude He said “Adequately communicating my thoughts and feelings to the teams of people I have admired and worked so close with seems an impossible task”. I would guess that is reason enough to leave.
Mark is a class act all the way. I’m not surprised to see him exit following Dick Cook’s departure. But, it’s a loss for Disney.
this is really sad and shocking news. Mark is an excellent leader and visionary. Disney and Iger should look at their own mistakes – ousters are not the solution.
Really a reflection on Bob Iger and what a disasterous decision that was to replace Dick Cook
How are Disney shareholders benefited by the change now of the two top managers at this important division? Highly impressive longterm stability is now completely lost.
Rich’s great decisions so far? Kill Miramax and now replace Mark Zoradi.
But at least instead of Johnny Depp Disney can now feature Zac Ephron.
From the outside it looks pretty simople.
A Xmas Carol is going to be one of the greatest disasters in Disney history and Dick Cook payed the price for another debarcle. Zoradi was too close to Dick and had to go so deep changes can follow.
It’s a purge of Cook people. Not that complicated, nor is it deserved.
Looks like a guy who knew what he was doing, but is being kicked to the curb because of his age. Disney is pure evil… if the children only knew.
It had nothing to do with his age.
Good riddance–when is Oren out?
is Disney seeming ESPECIALLY evil lately?
Having known him for three decades, I will say (as I’m confident anyone who knows him can attest) that Mark Zoradi is without question one of the most intellectually gifted and at the same time compassionate and thoroughly decent people to ever grace this earth, much less Tinseltown.
Always a class act.
There’s a reason we call it Mous-schwitz.
Really a stand up guy. He would actually tell you the truth when it would be more expeditious not to. Very unusual for a guy in that position. Maybe that’s why they offed him.
Mark’s great example, understanding and insight of marketing in an increasingly competitive international market place will be hard to follow and even harder to emulate.
I CAN’T WAIT until Iger uses up all the people Disney’s has for high-end scapegoating. Then all eyes will look at him & see him for the miserable failure he really is. Watch the morale drop at Mousewitz over the next year… this story isn’t finished, and that asshole who thinks he walks on water is going to be very surprised indeed at his new promotions’ failures.
Oren Aviv is the one who should be getting the axe. He’s the nimrod who greenlight all those horrible failures and he’s the one who over the past 20 years has beaten that ridiculous excuse for a marketing department into submission that no matter what the movie they do the same sell EVERY f’ing time and they beat a joke to death and when they try to be different, Surrogates outdoor campaign, it reeks of desperation. They need to axe Oren and his zombies who worship at his throne.
…and while they are at it, when on earth are they going to get rid of Jim Gallagher…rude, obnoxious, incompetent…and he was the man at the switch of the very expensive and true marketing mess for A Christmas Carol.
…if only people knew the real story of how this guy’s mess…
A great deal of odd comments here. Look, Iger is a very smart fellow. These expensive adventures with Zemeckis all trace themselves back to Cook and his team. No question that Iger recognizes that this purge was completely essential. Will he have the courage, and the understanding that these expensive Zemeckis empty eye-ed “films” must stop? We shall see. But Cook advocated–at a time when lean and mean is essential–outrageous and frivolous luxury on the Zemeckis failed experiment.
When this thing is all looked at in the long run, despite the “popularity” in some quarters, the Cook regime did not recognize that the business has moved from a “trend” to a “transition” and could no longer follow the old model, could no longer sustain crazies like Zemeckis.
People do not realize, that although popular, this gang actually harmed relations with talent. There was no foresightedness, a good deal of steamrolling over people, and as I mentioned, while they are at it, Gallagher should be next…he is a real piece of work in the worst tradition…
Thj is right… When Cook re-orged the studio a few years ago, the only people who came out ahead were his buddies from marketing. Bob Chapek and Oren Aviv are the last ones left, I’m sure it’s just a matter of time.
Heard Gallagher is out. Too bad, he’s a nice guy, but if he’s out hopefully Dave Singh goes with him. Now that guys an ass.
Although I know that ABC Daytime is not on as big of a scale as the rest of what is going on at Disney, can someone please whisper in Bob Iger’s ear to get rid of Brian Frons because that is a man that is really incompetent at his job.
While it’s hard to tell where the comment from “Snarky” is coming from, I must say that the comment from “Tiny Tim” just reeks of being way too personal. Hell, you may as well be Iger’s assistant for all one knows. People should spend less time trying to falsely attack people that have been fiercely loyal to Disney and worked their asses off to try and deliver the numbers for opening day weekends and maybe spend a little more time looking at the fact that the Idiot know as Iger may very well be wrecking the very trademarks that make Disney stand out as a studio. To stand out in the marketplace as a name that people (and shareholders) can identify immediately and feel like it’s a part of their home life, their holidays and their entertainment is a quality that no amount of money can buy. Middle americans don’t feel a thing or give a damn when the Universal logo comes up, or Warner Brothers or Sony. Only 2 studios in this town have the distinction of being familiar faces and Disney has been number 1 in that department.
As for Jim Gallagher, what sort of drugs are you on? What? Did Gallagher yell at you once or twice when he was in the midst of editing, mixing, scheduling, brainstorming or just getting something out the goddamn door that would live up to the Disney standard? If so, get tougher. That’s the way Jim works. On the inside, the guy is a teddy bear. He’s loyal, he’s dedicated to doing the best damn job he can, and for all huffing and puffing, well, that’s just his creative process. And if you’re in a bind, all of a sudden, out of all the people possible, he’s the one that will come through for you.
BTW – I don’t work for Gallagher, I’m not related to Gallagher, and NO, I don’t spend time socialising with him. So no ulterior motives here.
Here’s my suggestion for what Iger should do next:
1) fire Jim Gallagher, (I’m sure there’s no other studio that would love to scoop him up!)
2) Fire all their most talented marketing execs (since after all, they were employed there while Cook was running things). (Once again, I’m sure there’s no other studios that would cream over scooping them to up their opening weekend returns!)
3) Ax Oren – Yep, the guy’s such a schmuck that other studios already WANT the “nimrod that greenlit all those horrible failures”.
Note: if you didn’t catch the sarcasm in the above, then you really have no business commenting on on executive power structure.
Finally, I’ll say the same thing that I said on the Friday afternoon that Dick walked out of Disney. Bob Iger is operating on a very false sense of security. It may not bite him in the ass tomorrow, it may not bite him the ass next year, but check back in three years and see where he stands. I have two words for Mr. Iger: Michael Eisner. And two more: Michael Ovitz. Two cold-blooded bastards that thought they could shake up the system anyway they wanted because they had the power – one used an agency to terrorize the studio system, one used a studio to terrorize anyone who disagreed with him. Hollywood waited, quietly. And just like Michael Corleone when the time came, when the chance arose, they let those two cold blooded thugs sink themselves. If Iger thinks that he is any different, than he’s not even operating out of some false sense of safety, he’s friggin delusional.
Iger’s biggest problem isn’t his employees, it’s all the real powerhouses that made deals with Disney and then watched the Cook oust. A good healthy %90 hate and despise Iger. They put the smile on their face and they shake his hand, but if he fell in to a ditch tomorrow, none would shed a tear. I was privy to Eisner’s fall from grace and Ovitz’s public shunning and if Iger goes through even a half of that, he’ll be proverbially f@cked.
Any by the way, I don’t work for a studio. I’m not an exec or an underling. But I do happen to come from a power family that has led me from a young teenager visiting Lew and Edie Wasserman, to an older teen who told Mike Ovitz to ‘F Off’ to finally a grownup who usually hears some really interesting things at the family table that always end up coming true.
Good luck Mr. Iger – You Prick.
I have to step in on Gallagher’s behalf–the guy is nothing but a professional, and a decent human being to boot. He gets a ton of pressure both internally and externally, and it’s a thankless job, but he does everything he can. He’s one of the few truly good guys at that hellhole.
I am amazed at this craven interest in defending Gallagher–which more or less proves my point above. Since people are focusing on this topic, and taking me to task, I will respond specifically about this jerk and these ridiculous comments.
No, I am not Iger’s assistant. No, I to not work at Disney. And no, I have no personal ax to grind. Gallagher is not my boss–and it could even be construed that he occupied a lesser professional position than I.
However, I have had plenty of what might be called by some as “professional experience” with this guy–although the experiences would not pass as professional my any measurement. As already indicated by me, I found the guy stupid, manipulative, lying and obnoxious (without reason or purpose) to a level I have not found in many years in this business. Our business needs to weed out everyone of these characters and move on.
Look, we are in the middle of a transition all across the entertainment industry. To read into this entire story motives that made sense ten years ago is shallow thinking. I could write a book about what is happening and why.
But, the bottom line of the story is this: every single model, and every single idea of planning that we have relied upon or reacted to in the past especially in the motion picture industry no longer exists. There are too many wild card factors–and suffice it to say, the word chaos would be very well used.
Leaner, meaner, more profitable, more sensible risk–and anyone who is superfluous to that will go. All across out industry. We have seen one major talent agency simply vanish in the past year, another will soon follow, perhaps even two. We have seen capital unavailable, foreign markets collapse, expenses rise at every level, and several distributors closed with more to follow.
There is no place, in my view for characters like Gallagher, and some of these others. Time for everyone to move on.
This had nothing to do with a hair trigger based on the 1st weekend of returns for a movie, nor whether he was a nice guy. This is all about results. The studio (and all studios) has been underperforming for years and failed to make the changes based on the audience shift and their purchasing habits. Disney Channel was highly successful at this so now we will see if it translates to the big time.
Movies cost a lot of money and they must get a return on their investment. That’s the bottom line.
As far as Disney, that also involves Synergy within the other business units to enhance a properties financial success. This cooperation between units hasn’t been where it needs to be.
I’m sad to see Mark go. Unlike Dick and most of his other executive groupies who kept information to themselves and only imparted it when they deemed “the riff-raff” had squirmed long enough, Mark made everyone feel like part of the team, and that those who did the day to day work and weren’t just riding DC’s coattails and collecting fat undeserved paycheck for being a good crony deserved respect and appreciation. Mark also cared about people and community. Despite his loyalty to Cook, he was a good guy, and not just a “presentation” of a good guy wrapped around an elitist like Cook. Unfortunately, his loyalty was probably his undoing. He’ll be missed.
I will tell you…this guy is one class act. He is one of the few remaining guys who understand what the word “integrity” means. I was in a meeting with him once about a film that he was distributing (that went on to eventually win an Oscar). Without giving away details, he was under pressure to keep spending money on it, even though it was essentially all coming straight out of the producer’s pockets. He refused to do it. The film made a huge profit for Disney, but without screwing the producers. Who, in Hollywood, thinks like that anymore?