Dick Cook Resigns

[goofystitch]

Dick Cook, president of the motion pictures division, resigned today in a surprising upset. I saw him one week ago today give an amazing presentation at the D23 Expo and saw him several other times throughout the event wandering around as a Disney fan himself, so this was surprising to me. Some are speculating that he was fired. Deadline Hollywood was the first to report the story. Here is a quote from the article:

Disney is adamantly telling people tonight that Dick Cook was not fired. But that's not what Cook himself is telling Hollywood. I'm told that he was called in to see Bob Iger and given the news that "it was over". "He got blindsided by Iger. He never saw it coming," one source who just now spoke to Cook tells me. However, several months ago, rumors were floating that Iger was going to fire Cook because of the motion picture division's recent record of failures (along with some big successes) at the box office. When I asked top execs about this, I was given firm denials. (Then rumors began that Oren Aviv would be axed. Again, denials.) Iger himself talked to analysts about the motion picture division problems.

There can be no doubt that Cook was one of the most popular executives ever to work in showbiz. Tonight, Hollywood can't believe this has happened, especially on the eve of Rosh Hashanah. "I'm shocked by Dick's ouster. I love him more than life," one Disney insider told me, adding, "I walked out of a meeting and heard this. And, 4 minutes later, you post it." It's reminding old Disney hands of the day when Michael Eisner blindsided Jeffrey Katzenberg by firing him. "If your mandate if is to up the Disney brand, then how do you fire somebody who has 38 years of institutional brand knowledge of Disney?"

Naturally, the guessing game of who would replace Cook began immediately. "I don't know who Iger thinks he can find who'll be able to come in there and already have relations with Spielberg, and Zemeckis, and Bruckheimer, and Lasseter, and Burton, like this guy had." And then there is the fact that so many divisions report to Cook that his replacement also must be an experienced administrator as well as have deep talent relations. And that ain't easy.

There's been a lot of talk that Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige spent a lot of time with Disney CEO Bob Iger during the dealmaking to buy the company, and Feige impressed the hell out of Iger. Of course, there's also the new DreamWorks CEO Stacey Snider whose resume includes running Universal, after all, and who could further cement Steven Spielberg's control at his new moviemaking home. ("But she can't. She's a long-term partner with Steven and Reliance in DreamWorks. She not available," said a DreamWorks spokesperson.)

Here are the official statements:

September 18, 2009

STATEMENT FROM RICHARD W. COOK, CHAIRMAN, THE WALT DISNEY STUDIOS

I am stepping down from my role as chairman of The Walt Disney Studios, effective immediately.

I have loved every minute of my 38 years that I have worked at Disney…from the beginning as a ride operator on Disneyland’s steam train and monorail to my position as chairman of The Walt Disney Studios. To wrap up my Disney experience in a neatly bundled statement is close to impossible. But what I will say is, during my time at the Studio, we have achieved many industry and Company milestones. Our talent roster is simply the best in the business. I believe our slate of upcoming motion pictures is the best in our history. But most of all, I love the people, my colleagues, my teammates, who are the most talented, dedicated and loyal folks in the world. I know that I leave the Studio in their exceptional hands.

I have been contemplating this for some time now and feel it’s the right time for me to move on to new adventures…and in the words of one of my baseball heroes, Yogi Berra, “If you come to a fork in the road, take it.”
---
STATEMENT FROM ROBERT A. IGER, PRESIDENT AND CEO, THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY

“Throughout his distinguished 38-year Disney career, Dick Cook’s outstanding creative instincts and incomparable showmanship have truly enriched this company and significantly impacted Disney’s great legacy,” said Disney CEO Bob Iger. “We thank Dick for his tremendous passion for Disney, and his many accomplishments and contributions to The Walt Disney Studios, including a very promising upcoming film slate. On behalf of everyone at Disney, we wish him the best with all the future has to offer.”

---
I just got out of the hospital. Here's breaking news...

Dick Cook has been fired from Disney.

John Wells has won the election and is the next president of the Writers Guild, West.

Patti Röckenwagner, Paramount Executive Vice President of Corporate Communications, will be leaving the company to "pursue another opportunity". She has agreed to stay on with us through October to ensure a smooth transition.

I'm really bummed. I was a big fan of what Dick Cook did with the studios and the upcoming sleight of films look great.

[Cordy_Biddle]

Oh my gosh. He always seemed like such a nice guy, with his eye on the ball. What on earth does this bode for the studio?

[goofystitch]

Oh my gosh. He always seemed like such a nice guy, with his eye on the ball. What on earth does this bode for the studio?

Exactly. The article talks about the other departments that he oversaw, one of which was Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, the very division that Ultimate Disney was created around. This could have some big implications for many of us. Dick Cook was a big Disney fan first and foremost, which I see as part of the reason that the Walt Disney Treasures line was green lit in the first place, and also why it has continued for 9 years. It will be interesting to see who takes over and what changes are made.

[goofystitch]

There have been a few updates to the article I originally posted.

3RD UPDATE: Sources are telling me that, after his meeting with Bob Iger, Dick Cook called a staff meeting -- "a big, big room full of people" -- and told them that he'd been fired after 38 years at Disney. Then Dick teared up. He explained his ouster by saying that he and Iger had never had a close relationship where they'd been on the same wave length. (However, Disney sources, including one of Cook's still-in-place aides who was at the meeting as well, dispute this account.)

But Dick is freely telling his account around town tonight. And one thing that can't be denied is that Cook's firing is "playing very badly" on the Disney lot as well as around Hollywood. I've been deluged with calls and emails by prominent biz people expressing disbelief.

4TH UPDATE: I hear that Steven Spielberg is devastated by the news of Dick Cook's ouster. Dick was a major reason why Spielberg and Stacey Snider brought the new DreamWorks to Disney. And now Cook's ouster may imperil a 4th Pirates Of The Caribbean movie. Noting that Cook first enticed him with the Pirates movie idea and there's no firm deal in place for No. 4, Johnny Depp said in a phone interview from London with Claudia Eller: "There's a fissure, a crack in my enthusiasm at the moment," Depp said. "It was all born in that office."

Depp used words like "shocked... very sad" to describe his reaction when Cook called him a few hours ago to break the news. "He is the utmost gentleman, so he made the call himself. He said, 'I'd like you to hear it from me before you hear it from someone else or read it. He said today was my last day. He didn't give me a reason... I didn't see this coming. There was no reason to see this coming." Depp said "I consider Dick a friend inside an insane system. He's instantly trustworthy. And you generally don't meet people at the studios you trust," Depp said. "He's a rare beast."

5TH UPDATE: Here's what I'm hearing now from deep inside Disney. That today's date to announce his exit was chosen by Dick Cook. That Bob Iger was at Wal-Mart all day so there wasn't an 11th-hour meeting with Cook. Disney insiders continue to insist Dick wasn't fired. Instead, as one of the sources stresses, "He had a choice, He just didn't see eye to eye with Bob on how to run the studio. Dick wanted to run the studio his way." But it didn't come as a surprise to toppers that Cook chose to step down rather than change the way he ran the studio. "In the last 5 years since Bob's been CEO, the biggest resistance to change has came from the studio as an institution. They were the last ones who realized that things needed to change. Even when Bob cited the performance of the motion picture division to analysts last May as one reason for Disney's poor results. (Specifically, Iger said "studio performance was disappointing, something they would be the first to admit.") The insiders also confirm that Dick called the staff meeting and said he's stepping down and then read his resignation statement (see below). But the insiders say Cook didn't tear up but, yes, he got emotional. And that Dick never characterized his relationship with Iger. "Dick is very likeable, and he and Bob have a very cordial and very good relationship on a personal level," one of the sources just told me. There is confirmation that the people who work inside Walt Disney studios are emotional tonight.

[SpringHeelJack]

Oh, wow.

...now what?

[2099net]

My my. And wasn't every one saying how different Iger would be to Eisner?

I think its pretty clear he was fired. Reports say he told lots of people he was, so he must have. Even if not fired in a literal sense he must have been heavily leaned upon to quit. So in effect fired.

I don't really see Disney having a bad theatrical run really. Disney's own CGI stands out as underperforming, but that's the main reason they bought Pixar; to correct WDFA (IMO undeserved) audience apathy. Live action films from Disney have far from underperformed... and some which did (such as Prince Caspian) seem to have made up for it on home video release.

I think its telling that the majority of Disney's live action films this past few years have been modestly budgeted. Perhaps that made the sting of Prince Caspian's box office hurt a little harder. A big buck film not doing very well - its probably as much about pride as on-paper finances.

I doubt a new guy will come up with a heavily budgeted box office smash. It's not easy, or else everyone else would be doing it. Especially in today's crowded schedules - which lets face it are mainly full of sequels to sequels to sequels.

I think the motion captured Imagemovers titles - which were greenlit under Cook won't be as successful as Disney's own animated CGI films (Chicken Little, Meet the Robinsons, Bolt) though. I don't really see the appeal of watching animation which may as well be live action (or in the case of Beowulf, live action with CGI effects).

[blackcauldron85]

and . Those were my thoughts at just reading the title of the thread. Ugh, Bob Iger. You're not a creative guy. Dick Cook seemed to have such a passion for the company and really care. I'm nervous for the future. I mean, if Johnny Depp is having doubts about a POTC4, then I wonder who else is having doubts about things. Will projects that Cook greenlit be ungreenlit? Very sad times.

[akhenaten]

depp not so enthusiastic on pirates 4 following this incident

http://www.hitfix.com/articles/2009-9-1 ... -at-disney

[Ioz]

The live action underperformers such as Confessions of a Shopaholic, Bedtime Stories, and Race to Witch Mountain helped sink him.

NY Times article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/19/busin ... l?_r=1&hpw

[Mason_Ireton]

What contribution did Mr. Cook make to the company? and what was he responsiable for?? I understand that he was in charge of the Home Video releases of the Disney Classics but was he did start the Platinum/Diamond line??

[goofystitch]

What contribution did Mr. Cook make to the company? and what was he responsiable for?? I understand that he was in charge of the Home Video releases of the Disney Classics but was he did start the Platinum/Diamond line??

Dick Cook started with Disney in 1970 as a monorail and steam train driver at Disneyland. In the 80's he moved into marketing at the film division and in 2002, he was made president of Walt Disney Pictures, which oversees Disney, Thouchstone, Hollywood Pictures, as well as all of Disney's home entertainment divisions and record labels. He is the man responsible for forming a strong bond with Jerry Bruckheimer and is credited with getting Johnny Depp cast in Pirates of the Caribbean. He is also the main reason that Steven Spielberg wanted Disney as his new distributor for Dreamworks.

His main contributions have been to the films themselves, but he did oversee and have final approval on all home video releases. He probably didn't start the Platinum line, but he was definitely a fan of them and made sure they got the budget and promotional efforts required to make them successful.

[Mason_Ireton]

Ah ok then cause I remember seein him on the makin of" documentaries of the platinums (IE Beauty/Beast) and I really like his contribution to the films themeselves especialy projects that Michael Eisner assumed didn't have much "profit" in 'em. Was he also teamin up with Lenoard Maltin on the WDT line? and was in the mist of tryin to re-release Song Of The South to dvd also???

Really wish he'd stay with the Home Entertainment department he made so many contribution to the Home Video releases and the platinums, WDT line defintly show how much effort really went into the films' bonus feats.


Thanks for the lil background GoofyStitch greatly appericate it alot.

[PatrickvD]

If he was fired for giving Beverly Hills Chihuahua (and the upcoming sequel) the green light then I think we're going to be fine.

We'll see what this means. Iger is probaply already kicking himself. They did a huge Pirates 4 announcement with Depp on stage as Sparrow and a title reveal. Now Depp says he doesn't feel up to it anymore because Cook was the one who supported him. You can bet Iger will do whatever it takes to get Pirates 4 made, so it should be interesting to see who can replace him.

If they can't find the right person, I'd gladly do it. I will start by burning every copy of The Hunchback of Notre Dame II. After that I will personally see to it that Beauty and the Beast is properly restored to its orignal colors. I will leave the people responsible for coloring Belle's hair red up to you guys. We'll see how I take things from there

[merlinjones]

It was Dick Cook that gave the greenlight to Leonard Maltin for the Walt Disney Treasures on DVD - - and fully supported Pixar and Feature Animation. He was one of the good guys.

[blackcauldron85]

http://blueskydisney.blogspot.com/2009/ ... -cook.html

Now who to replace him? I like Cook, he's been a good Suit. It's going to be hard to replace someone with the connections he has in Hollywood. But two names are floating around as replacements. One is Kevin Feige, who is head of Marvel Productions. The other choice is John Lasseter, currently head of Pixar and Disney Animation, and Head of Creativity at Imagineering. Wow, Lasseter has a shot at running the whole Disney film division. Now as interesting as that could be, I don't want the animated division to suffer. He's a very, very busy man now. But imagine what the Disney line up would look like under his guidance. More commentary to follow later.

[PatrickvD]

Lasseter?..... that would be interesting.

If that happens we can kiss Zemeckis and his creepy-ass motion capture goodbye. I mean we all now how he feels about that But if Lasseter were to run Disney's entire film division, who could possibly run Pixar and Disney?

[2099net]

If he was fired for giving Beverly Hills Chihuahua (and the upcoming sequel) the green light then I think we're going to be fine.

We'll see what this means. Iger is probaply already kicking himself. They did a huge Pirates 4 announcement with Depp on stage as Sparrow and a title reveal. Now Depp says he doesn't feel up to it anymore because Cook was the one who supported him. You can bet Iger will do whatever it takes to get Pirates 4 made, so it should be interesting to see who can replace him.

I would imagine in order to get Depp to appear in public and make a big announcement, contracts would already be signed, sealed and delivered. In short, there's nothing Depp can do to stop it (and probably sequels if he has already signed for them).

If they can't find the right person, I'd gladly do it. I will start by burning every copy of The Hunchback of Notre Dame II. After that I will personally see to it that Beauty and the Beast is properly restored to its orignal colors. I will leave the people responsible for coloring Belle's hair red up to you guys. We'll see how I take things from there

No. Disney has a contract with MS Paint! You can't make it void!

[2099net]

http://blueskydisney.blogspot.com/2009/ ... -cook.html

Now who to replace him? I like Cook, he's been a good Suit. It's going to be hard to replace someone with the connections he has in Hollywood. But two names are floating around as replacements. One is Kevin Feige, who is head of Marvel Productions. The other choice is John Lasseter, currently head of Pixar and Disney Animation, and Head of Creativity at Imagineering. Wow, Lasseter has a shot at running the whole Disney film division. Now as interesting as that could be, I don't want the animated division to suffer. He's a very, very busy man now. But imagine what the Disney line up would look like under his guidance. More commentary to follow later.

Lasseter? Please no. Make it stop mommy! Make it stop!

[PatrickvD]

http://blueskydisney.blogspot.com/2009/ ... -cook.html

Now who to replace him? I like Cook, he's been a good Suit. It's going to be hard to replace someone with the connections he has in Hollywood. But two names are floating around as replacements. One is Kevin Feige, who is head of Marvel Productions. The other choice is John Lasseter, currently head of Pixar and Disney Animation, and Head of Creativity at Imagineering. Wow, Lasseter has a shot at running the whole Disney film division. Now as interesting as that could be, I don't want the animated division to suffer. He's a very, very busy man now. But imagine what the Disney line up would look like under his guidance. More commentary to follow later.

Lasseter? Please no. Make it stop mommy! Make it stop!

yup. Pirates 4 is going to be a Jack Sparrow/ Barbossa buddy comedy.

[PatrickvD]

If he was fired for giving Beverly Hills Chihuahua (and the upcoming sequel) the green light then I think we're going to be fine.

We'll see what this means. Iger is probaply already kicking himself. They did a huge Pirates 4 announcement with Depp on stage as Sparrow and a title reveal. Now Depp says he doesn't feel up to it anymore because Cook was the one who supported him. You can bet Iger will do whatever it takes to get Pirates 4 made, so it should be interesting to see who can replace him.

I would imagine in order to get Depp to appear in public and make a big announcement, contracts would already be signed, sealed and delivered. In short, there's nothing Depp can do to stop it (and probably sequels if he has already signed for them).

If they can't find the right person, I'd gladly do it. I will start by burning every copy of The Hunchback of Notre Dame II. After that I will personally see to it that Beauty and the Beast is properly restored to its orignal colors. I will leave the people responsible for coloring Belle's hair red up to you guys. We'll see how I take things from there

No. Disney has a contract with MS Paint! You can't make it void!

oh right I forgot.

and I guess they would have signed Depp on. But why is he now going around expressing doubt after he's signed on? I understand him feeling disappointed because Cook always supported him.