Disney brings Alan Horn out of retirement to replace Rich Ross as Studio Chief

In a choice that is being widely hailed as sensible and a repudiation of Robert Iger’s decision last time around to put an inexperienced “TV guy” in charge of the Disney Studios, former Warner Brothers Entertainment Chief Alan Horn has been named as the Chairman of Walt Disney Studios, replacing Rich Ross.

“Alan not only has an incredible wealth of knowledge and experience in the business, he has a true appreciation of moviemaking as both an art and a business,” Disney Chairman and Chief ExecutiveRobert A. Iger said in a statement. “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.”

“We’ve got a business that has done well on the animation front and the Marvel front,” Iger said.  “But our results on the live-action front have been inconsistent this year, in particular. The goal is to find a management team that is capable of creating live-action films under the Disney banner in a more consistent basis.”

Horn, one of the founders of Castle Rock Entertainment, oversaw the Harry Potter and Batman franchises during his tenure at Warner.

“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.”

“I’m incredibly excited about joining The Walt Disney Company, one of the most iconic and beloved entertainment companies in the world,” said Horn. “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.”