By: Russ Burlingame on May 31, 2012
It’s the DC/Marvel crossover nobody ever expected! Alan Horn, the former President and COO of Warner Bros., has been tapped to run Walt Disney Studios, according to a tweet by Variety film reporter Jeff Sneider. A report at The Hollywood Reporter confirms the news, referring to Horn as Disney CEO Robert Iger’s pick for the job.
This is the movie equivalent of DC’s move to promote former Marvel Comics Editor-in-Chief Bill Jemas to the same role at a reconfigured DC, albeit with much bigger numbers at play. Warner is the parent company of DC Entertainment, while Disney owns Marvel. The companies are extremely reliant on the intellectual properties provided by their comic book arms to help them generate major tentpole blockbusters like The Avengers and The Dark Knight.
Horn’s official role, effective June 11, will be as Chairman of Walt Disney Studios, according to an official press release by Disney, released while this article was being written.
“I’m incredibly excited about joining The Walt Disney Company, one of the most iconic and beloved entertainment companies in the world,” said Horn in the release. “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’s relationship with Warner has still not completely deteriorated, as just yesterday it was announced he was involved with producting a Lord of the Rings video game, a relic of his era as President there. He helped to usher the Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings franchises as well as Christopher Nolan’s Batman films during his time at the company. His ouster from that role was as a result of tension with the current CEO, although he is still serving as an executive producer on The Hobbit for Warner.
