The Mouse House has tapped Alan Horn as chairman of the Walt Disney Studios, effective June 11. He replaces Rich Ross, who exited in April. Disney chief Bob Iger announced the appointment Thursday afternoon, surprising staffers at the studio, given that many in the biz had expected Horn to bow out of the entertainment biz after ankling as president of Warner Bros. last year, following 12 years in the post. The 69-year-old Horn was replaced by a three-person "office of the president" -- filled by motion picture group prexy Jeff Robinov, TV group topper Bruce Rosenblum and home entertainment chief Kevin Tsujihara. When Horn left WB last year, he planned to "unplug" to figure out his next move, outside of consulting for his longtime studio home through 2013, from an office in Century City, he told Variety (March 31, 2011). One thing he didn't want was a producing deal at WB. Ironically, he also said when he's decided the next job, "There's not going to be a big announcement. "I'm a very decisive person -- I've had to be in this job -- and I've decided that I don't want to decide until I'm out of this office," he said before departing WB. "It's really been an all-encompassing job when you're releasing 24 movies a year, so I'm looking forward to unplugging. I won't be reading four screenplays over the weekend and reading a book that we're trying to turn into a film." At the same time, however, Horn wasn't shy in telling the biz that it wasn't his decision to exit the studio, and wouldn't be averse to remaining in the top post at another studio. Horn will now oversee worldwide operations for the Mouse House, including production, distribution and marketing for live-action and animated films from Disney, Pixar and Marvel, as well as marketing and distribution for DreamWorks Studios films released under the Touchstone Pictures banner. Disney's music and theatrical divisions will also report to Horn. Iger has been adamant in wanting to go off the Disney lot for Ross' replacement, keeping Sean Bailey as president of production and Alan Bergman and president of the studio. Several names had been mentioned around town for the job, including Marvel's Kevin Feige, DreamWorks' Stacey Snider, and producers Nina Jacobson, Mary Parent, Scott Stuber, Joe Roth and former Disney exec Oren Aviv, now heading up marketing at 20th Century Fox. But those individuals wanted to remain filmmakers or marketers, and not spend most of their time managing the studio's various divisions and meeting with heads of Disney's other arms to make sure each operation is in sync -- especially as the company looks to launch franchises that can perform at the box office, spin off TV shows, stage shows, web properties, toys, videogames, merchandise and theme park rides. Just this week, Iger told investors at the Sanford C. Bernstein Strategic Decisions Conference in Gotham that he wants a studio team capable of creating better live-action pics "on a more consistent basis" after the recent "John Carter" debacle topped a recent record of some uninspired or badly executed pics. Company recorded a $200 million writedown for "John Carter." Upcoming tentpoles greenlit by Ross include Sam Raimi's "Oz: The Great and Powerful," Jerry Bruckheimer's "The Lone Ranger" and "Maleficent." Marvel Studios also has "Iron Man 3," skedded for May 3, 2013, while "Thor 2" will bow July 26, 2013, and a "Captain America" sequel unspools April 4, 2014. An untitled pic is slated for May 16, 2014, and could be filled by a film version of "Ant-Man," to be directed by Edgar Wright, "Doctor Strange," "Runaways," "S.H.I.E.L.D.," "Inhumans" or "Guardians of the Galaxy," all in development. "Our results on live-actions have been inconsistent," Iger said. But "the strategy for our motion picture group is very clear": two animated films a year from Pixar and Disney; two Marvel films a year; six to eight Disney branded live-action pics; and a distribution deal with DreamWorks Studios. "Alan not only has an incredible wealth of knowledge and experience in the business, he has a true appreciation of movie making as both an art and a business," Iger said. "He's earned the respect of the industry for driving tremendous, sustained creative and financial success, and is also known and admired for his impeccable taste and integrity. He brings all of this to his new role leading our studio group, and I truly look forward to working with him." Horn, who launched the "Harry Potter" franchise during his tenure, said "I'm incredibly excited about joining the Walt Disney company, one of the most iconic and beloved entertainment companies in the world. I love the motion picture business and look forward to making a contribution as part of Bob Iger's team working closely with the dedicated and talented group at the studio." Horn left WB as president and chief operating officer of Warner Bros. Entertainment where he had oversight of the studios' theatrical and home entertainment operations, including the Warner Bros. Pictures Group, direct-to-DVD arm Warner Premiere, Warner Bros. Theatrical Ventures and Warner Home Video. Other films released during his time were "The Dark Knight," "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," "Happy Feet," "Sherlock Holmes," "The Departed," "Batman Begins," "Million Dollar Baby," the second and third "Matrix" films and the "Ocean's Eleven" trilogy. Horn is also an executive producer of "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey." Horn had headed WB with chairman-CEO Barry Meyer since October 1999, when they replaced longtime toppers Bob Daly and Terry Semel. Horn had said his biggest accomplishment was implementing the studio's tentpole strategy on a worldwide basis. The exec would certainly fit in well at Disney, given that all seven Potter films earned a combined $6 billion at the worldwide box office, fitting with Disney's push for more family franchises that benefit all areas of the Mouse House. WB recently announced its third theme park based on the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, in Orlando. "Alan was a terrific partner in every sense of the word," said Barry Meyer, Chairman and CEO, Warner Bros. "He has a profound understanding of the filmmaking process as well as the ability to bridge the creative and business sides of a studio. He's been a part of some of the most popular films produced in the last decade, and we're very happy for him. All of his colleagues at Warner Bros. wish him the best." Before joining Warner Bros., Horn co-founded Castle Rock Entertainment where he served as chairman and CEO and produced "A Few Good Men," "The Shawshank Redemption" and "The Green Mile," "When Harry Met Sally," "City Slickers," "In the Line of Fire" and TV series "Seinfeld." Horn also served as president and COO Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp and was chairman and CEO of Embassy Communications.
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