Mr. Rice, president of Disney General Entertainment Content, a division of the company that makes more than 300 shows a year on platforms such as ABC, Disney Channel, Disney +, Hulu and FX, was fired by Bob Chapek, CEO of Disney. brief meeting on Wednesday, these people said. Mr Rice, who also oversees ABC News, recently renewed his contract with Disney in August. He ran until the end of 2024. Disney will pay him, people said. Mr Rice declined to comment. Mr. Rice’s expulsion was like a soundtrack to Hollywood, where he is widely admired. Many people in the entertainment industry (at least outside Disney) have even seen Rice as a possible candidate to succeed Chapek as Disney CEO. Mr Chapek’s decision is sure to raise questions about whether this gossip has become more or less possible. Mr Chapek has had difficult months, with Disney becoming a political boxing bag, especially for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and Disney’s share price plummeting amid industry-wide concerns about the profitability of streaming services. . In April, Mr. Chapek fired the company’s top communications and government executive. The executive, Geoff Morrell, joined Disney in January on a multi-year contract. Disney also paid him. Shares of Disney closed just above $ 103 on Thursday, falling nearly 4%, more than the broader market fell about 2%. Disney CEO Susan E. Arnold said in an email that Mr. Chapek had the support of the board – a rare public comment that, despite the upheaval, Mr. Chapek is on his way for contract renewal. His current contract expires in February. “The strength of the Walt Disney Company’s pandemic business is a testament to Bob’s leadership and vision for the company’s future,” said Arnold. “In this crucial period of business growth and transformation, we are committed to keeping Disney on the path to success today, and Bob and his leadership team have the support and confidence of the Board.” Another Disney board member, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss company matters, said the board had never considered Rice a managing director. Disney confirmed that Mr. Rice would leave the company immediately, but declined to comment on why. Following the news of his ouster, Disney announced that Dana Walden, who has been the entertainment director for Walt Disney Television, would succeed him. Ms. Walden, in collaboration with Mr. Rice, has recently featured hits such as “Abbott Elementary,” an ABC comedy, and “Only Murders in the Building,” a Hulu comedy crime drama. “Dana is a dynamic, collaborative leader and cultural force that in just three years has transformed our television business into a content force,” Chapek said in a statement. “She and Peter worked closely together for years to create the best planning in the industry.” Mr. Chapek offered nothing more to Mr. Rice, avoiding the glamorous clichés that Hollywood usually turns to at the moment. Nor did Disney give Mr. Rice a parachute in the form of a production deal. (“I know we all wish Peter the best,” Chapek said in an internal email announcing Ms Walden’s rise.) Ms Walden said in a statement that it was “an incredible honor” to be promoted and praised the team that Mr Rice put together as “truly the ultimate best in every way”. The team includes Kimberly Godwin on ABC News and Ayo Davis on Disney Branded Television. Mr. Rice’s sudden departure breaks up a powerful trio that Disney inherited from 21st Century Fox, which it agreed to buy from Rupert Murdoch in 2017. Mr. Rice, Ms. Walden and FX Networks President John Landgraf have teamed up closely at Fox for decades. Mr. Rice, polite but often unfamiliar to those who worked with him, began his recreational career in 1987, when he was a summer intern at Mr. Murdoch’s film studio. For the next three decades, he will come close to Mr. Murdoch, going up to become president of the 21st Century Fox. Along the way, Mr. Rice turned Fox Searchlight into a superpower of Oscars and tickets, bringing hits such as “Little Miss Sunshine”, “Sideways” and “Slumdog Millionaire”. The overthrow of Disney was a shock to both Rice and Ms. Walden, said people who were briefed on the matter. Just three weeks ago, Disney sent Mr. Rice home, the company’s annual report for the advertising industry. A prominent appearance generally shows that the position of an executive in a company is strong. Mr. Rice, who was introduced on stage by Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez, the protagonists of “Only Murders in the Building”, spoke about Disney’s strong position in the market, noting that it was the “only company which has not been bought or sold in the last 100 years “. The Disney TV section is doing well. In addition to “Only Murders in the Building,” Hulu recently screened “The Dropout,” a popular limited-edition series about Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes. The top shows for ABC News, “Good Morning America” and “World News Tonight”, remain the most watched morning and evening newscasts. Mrs. Walden’s relationship in Hollywood, like that of Mr. Rice, is deep. Jay Sures, co-chair of the United Talent Agency, called her “arguably the best creative executive in the television business,” adding that “she is loved by talent.”
