D'Amaro & Walden Have Every Reason to be Optimistic.

There are many reasons to be optimistic for the parks, and the movies will probably do well financially, but from a creative standpoint the movies seem so boring. When every upcoming movie is a sequel, reboot, or remake there's not a lot to look forward to, especially since original movies (like Pixar's "Hoppers") don't seem to get much advertising or mention. And when the Disney plan is just building IP rides and lands, what happens when they run out of IP?

@V-Coaster: I can't disagree with you -- mainly because whether or not something is "boring" is clearly a matter of opinion. But as you note "There are many reasons to be optimistic for the parks, and the movies will probably do well financially," which certainly means D'amaro and Walden are joining the executive ranks at a time when TWDC is doing exceptionally well -- a circumstance that is very likely to improve.

As for your comment "especially since original movies (like Pixar's "Hoppers") don't seem to get much advertising or mention" ... 'Hoppers' got a Super Bowl ad, and that ain't nothing.

I’m with you on the parks side having so many big builds already in motion gives any incoming leadership a huge head start. I do share the concern that the film slate feels a bit sequel-heavy, but if a couple of originals land and the parks teams keep taking creative swings inside those IP worlds, the momentum could stay strong.

This pretty much aligns with my thinking when this announcement was made. D'Amaro is walking into an almost perfect scenario with the company as a whole delivering results, particularly from the division where he holds expertise. D'Amaro has already set the wheels in motion for the next era of Disney theme park improvement/expansion, and has put down the groundwork over the past 2-3 years that allows him to supervise the execution of those projects in the next 5-8 years from afar with the intimate knowledge of what's happening. In other words, while the theme park division is embarking on a record-breaking expansion effort, D'Amaro owns that work already having been intimately involved with those developments and can afford to be on "cruise-control" in regards to the execution while also taking credit when projects reach completion. This is very different from when Chapek took over, which also was during a major expansion push, most notably with Galaxy's Edge. However, Chapek's expertise was on the business side and not necessarily on the creative or execution side of things, so when Galaxy's Edge opened, his attempt to take credit for those projects rang hollow and disingenuous. When D'Amaro talks about projects in the pipeline you really get the sense that he feels connected to them and that he has a real stake in the success/failure, and not just from the perspective of profit/loss.

I also think that having Walden as his "partner" gives D'Amaro some cover in the part of the business that will take him time to understand and feel comfortable leading. While theme parks and cruises are heavily criticized, it's nothing compared to the level of criticism levied towards filmed media. Products in the Experiences division are not touched by every customer every single day, but products in the Entertainment division are. The ebbs and flows of success/failure are unrelenting in the business, and even if you deliver the best product in history, you're being asked how it can be topped and if the next project doesn't top it, it's a failure even if it's profitable. Walden should help provide some cover/buffer for D'Amaro while he gets his feet wet, but Disney is going to eventually have to make some tough decisions in the coming years in how filmed entertainment is financed, produced, and delivered to customers. It's an industry that is highly volatile, and frankly, I could see both Disney and Universal spinning their theme park businesses off from their entertainment companies, in the next decade.

Russell: "... I could see both Disney and Universal spinning their theme park businesses off from their entertainment companies, in the next decade."

Me: You gotta know that TWDC has done the math on that model. The company understands the kind of landscape where that strategy works to the interest of shareholders. And although I'm nowhere near smart enough to understand the nuts and bolts of such an arrangement, plans to divide Disney into two different entities would seem to explain the choice of the dual executive promotions. Josh as CEO of Parks & Experiences. Dana as CEO of Films & Television production.

I totally agree with the above THC re separating the theme parks and entertainment businesses. My concern for a while has been the total lack creativity within Disney regarding their films as highlighted by VCFan. Even Pixar has become uninspired since Lasseter was relieved.

I alluded to this back in the original article, but the above article underscores how bad of a position Bob Chapek was put in by having to take the reins just as the world was shutting down. As parks started closing and CapEx started getting slashed across the board, it seemed like he was made out to be the bad guy by pulling the plug on multiple projects. D'Amaro has a huge advantage in that most of the announced projects for the parks have already begun construction, so it'd be too late to reverse course if another world-shaking event were to occur tomorrow.

As for film, the real test for Walden will be how well she can get audiences to return to theaters for original stories. Yes, IP is king and the sequels/remakes listed will likely do well. But when those wells eventually run dry, you gotta give audiences something new to connect with and this is where Disney has consistently struggled post-COVID. The only original film to do well was Elemental and that was a modest success compared to how Inside Out, Zootopia, Moana, and Coco all performed in the 2010s. Everything else has flopped badly at the box office, so hopefully she knows how to right the ship.

Some early good news for Josh and Dana: 'Hoppers' grabbed a 94% / 94% on Rotten Tomatoes.

KA-POW!

Variety (03/08/26) - "This weekend’s other newcomer, Pixar’s kid friendly “Hoppers” (a very different kind of creature feature), captured the No. 1 spot with a strong $46 million from 4,000 theaters. The film earned another $42 million overseas for a worldwide haul of $88 million. With stellar reviews and an enthusiastic audience reception (a 94% on Rotten Tomatoes and “A” grade on CinemaScore), “Hoppers” is primed to be Pixar’s first ORIGINAL hit in nearly a decade".

Prada 2, Grogu and Toy Story 5 waiting in the wings. Of course the success of 'Hopper' comes on the heels of the $2 billion monster that is 'Zootopia 2'.

Early in their tenure, Josh and Dana are going to enjoy the spoils of the work Robert Iger initiated over the last couple of years.

It's March 18th. So long, Mr. Iger. Best wishes to you and your family.

It's March 18th. So long, Mr. Iger. Best wishes to you and your family.

This, from veteran Disney commentator Lou Mongello: "I have had the privilege of meeting and speaking with Josh on a number of occasions, and paying close attention to his work for years. His passion for the guest experience, his genuine love for what Disney Parks represent, and his ability to think both creatively and boldly have always impressed me. Hearing him speak directly about where he wants to take Disney next reminded me exactly why I fell in love with this company in the first place. And why this company, and its future, matters so much to so many of us. A new chapter for Disney is already underway. I could not be more excited to see where he takes it."

Disney Adventure World is officially open. Josh and Dana have it made without lifting a finger. Early videos from inside the park show monstrous crowds.

This is why I believe (and I am pretty sure Russell agrees) that Josh and Dana must be ecstatic with their new leadership roles. Along with the revamped park in Paris, there's the expansions at WDW (already underway) and Disneyland Forward at DLR (moving ahead) the new execs are poised to enjoy an exceptional level of success.

Hell, even I could be CEO and not screw it up.

I could see the campaign slogan now…

“A chicken in every pot and a hippo in every ride.”

A winking hippo, yes.

No doubt Dana Walden is kicking off her Jimmy Choos and nursing a nice glass of champagne to celebrate the opening weekend receipts from 'The Devil Wears Prada 2'.

Deadline (05/03/26): "20th Century Studios/Disney’s Devil Wears Prada 2 came in at $77 million USBO, still above tracking’s $73 million. Disney always saw it at this level throughout the weekend, however, rivals overestimated. Around the world, the Anne Hathaway-Meryl Streep-Emily Blunt-Stanley Tucci sequel was truly the thing, racking up massive $233.6 million worldwide".

Prada comes on the heels of Walt Disney Studios $600 million-plus earned by Spring's 'Hoppers'.

Waiting in the wings 'The Mandalorian & Grogu', 'Toy Story 5', 'Moana (LA)' and Disney/Marvel/Sony's 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' coming in July.

The popularity of Prada will help Hulu/Disney+ attract/sustain subscribers when it moves over to the company's streaming platform.

Ooof... where do I begin? The amount of recent Pixar / Marvel flops far outweighs the rare successes. Should I post the math and list?

Are we talking reality here or just cheerleading?

Within the context of the discussion thread, prior box office performances of Walt Disney Studios films have no relevance. The topic of discussion associated with this thread is how incoming WDC executives Josh D’amaro and Dana Walden "have been blessed with the best possible circumstances that any incoming Disney CEO has ever experienced. A substantial amount of promising entertainment content and park experiences are already in development".

Russell Meyers: "This pretty much aligns with my thinking when this announcement was made. D'Amaro is walking into an almost perfect scenario with the company as a whole delivering results, particularly from the division where he holds expertise".

What's past is past. Looking forward (which is the topic of this thread) the success of 'Hoppers' and Prada 2 are early signs that Mr. D'Amaro and Ms. Walden, do indeed, have a solid foundation upon which to build.

For as great as the opening of Devil Wears Prada 2 was this past weekend, Mando is tracking to be the lowest domestic opening weekend ever for a live action Star Wars film (lower than the $84 million for Solo). Now, the production budget for Mando has reportedly been tightly controlled (coming in at under $170 million), but unless it gets a massive bump after its debut, Mando is not going to continue Disney's recent run of success at the box office.

The Hollywood Reporter (05/05/26): "'The Mandalorian and Grogu’: First 25 Minutes Draw Strong Fan Reactions. On Monday night, some Star Wars fans and influencers were treated to the film’s first 25 minutes in Imax, and they’ve taken to social media to share their thoughts.

'The 25 minutes felt like a first episode of a new season. It’s also great to Mando kicking ass on an #imax screen. If you’re only gonna see once in theater, do imax. Sound & scope of the opening action sequence was great. Ludwig [Göransson’s] score was [fire].'

'I really liked what I saw. It has vibes of the original trilogy, the action looks great (especially in IMAX), the plot sounds interesting, and there’s a mystery at its core that caught my attention. I’m really excited!'

'The opening scene deserves credit. It’s genuinely cool. The CGI still needs some polish, but if the film keeps that momentum, it could easily turn into a hit. I wouldn’t say I didn’t like it, but something felt off when the opening credits rolled, it didn’t quite feel like a Star Wars movie. It came across more like a streaming TV film than a big-screen experience. Overall, I enjoyed what I saw and will still be seated to watch the rest on May 22nd.'

'Din Djarin is arguably the coolest he’s ever been, and Grogu is as adorable as always. While the movie’s stakes aren’t the highest, a lot of what the trailers show is from early in the film. So hopefully we’ll get some fun surprises.'

'If you love the show (as I do), I am positive you will love the movie (just based on what we saw). It looks like the show, of course, but there is an elevated quality to it, with more polished VFX and atmosphere … Mando is still basically Star Wars John Wick and isn’t aiming for the leg when taking out bad guys, so there’s no saturation for a family audience in that regard. Grogu is still adorable and fun, so if you expect him to be like Yoda in Episode II, you’re looking for the wrong movie … Overall, I got some of the old Star Wars feelings back, and I would have stayed for the whole movie with no complaints if they let us. I don’t know if it will reverse a lot of soured SW fans and some will surely complain no matter what, but who cares? For me, it’s nice to be back in a galaxy far, far away with characters I enjoy, rather than enduring the new ones I don’t.'

'Cinematic, epic scale that demands to be seen on the big screen. Ludwig Göransson’s music gave us goosebumps. Had smiles on our faces the entire time watching the footage'.

'“So, in many ways, these 25 minutes feel like an exciting premiere of a big streaming TV series, one that provides some big setpieces and tees up an exciting season of adventures. The Mandalorian and Grogu is on the big screen—on IMAX, no less, the biggest screens! That gives everything an extra sense of importance, scale, and excitement. This might not be a return to a Star Wars movie from the old days, but the scale is certainly there … it seems like The Mandalorian and Grogu is trying to be more than a TV show, though it’s unclear if its ambitious enough to seem on par with the episodic films'

'I’m very happy to report that this movie hits the ground RUNNING! Fantastic action and adorable Grogu shenanigans. I can’t wait to see the rest!'

'We got to watch the first 25 minutes of Jon Favreau’s THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU in @IMAX on this May the 4th and it was such a treat. Already a whole lot of fun. The film looks way better on this huge screen and especially when the aspect ratio expands to the full 1.43.'"

@Russell so you chose to use the phrase "unless it gets a massive bump" over "unless it performs better than expected"?

Do you get dizzy when you spin like that?

Film tracking is an art, but those that do it tend to be really good at predicting performance. However, word of mouth can always upend predictions, and as you've noted, there are some positive early signs regarding the potential of Mando to gain steam after its opening with strong word of mouth. I merely pointed out that the movie is not tracking like a typical Star Wars film, but if it's able to get a bump after an opening that's predicted to be the worst ever live action Star Wars theatrical releases, it's possible for Mando to be a modest success. It certainly doesn't look like the movie is going to be a blockbuster in the traditional sense (in terms of profit and profile), but it's possible for Mando to exceed projections.

Now, if you think going from the worst performing Star Wars film of all time to the second worst performing Star Wars film of all time is the bar for success, then perhaps you're the dizzy one TH.

@Russell: Oh give me a break! I will certainly admit that I absolutely suggested that the film is an example of how Josh D'Amaro and Dana Walden were handed a company at a time when it's holding a wealth of promising new content. An assertion you have echoed.

But, to be fair, I never contradicted what you posted about M&G's box office expectations. I do have to laugh when you offer up "but unless it gets a massive bump after its debut, Mando is not going to continue Disney's recent run of success at the box office." I mean, why not write something a bit more objective, as in "if these predictions are true, Mando is not going to continue Disney's recent run of success at the box office"? That approach pretty much eliminates any appearance of bias.

And then after I call you on it, you back-peddle and assert "Film tracking is an art, but those that do it tend to be really good at predicting performance". Yeah. I'm sure there's reams of quantitative data that will back up that contention. Or are we just taking your word for it?

I for one hope M&G is a hit and that it does well at the box office.

Do you?

I do hope Mando is a success, because Star Wars is on a slippery slope right now and it needs something positive to prevent it from falling even further. I'm appalled by the constant cancellation of projects, ret-conning, and indication that an entire trilogy be de-canonized. Add the capitulation of failure in Galaxy's Edge (along with the Starcruiser), and Disney's version of Star Wars, though financially lucrative, has been nothing but a big steaming turd with diminishing returns that threaten its sustainability and longevity within pop culture.

So yes, as a massive SW (and pretty big Disney) fan, I absolutely want Mando to succeed so that Disney can have something (anything) that they can point to and say "we've put the train back on the tracks".

Russell: "I do hope Mando is a success ..."

Me: Hence, your belief in the soothsaying ("artistic?") pessimists offering up bleak box office projections.

That tracks.

Belief in soothsaying pessimists? If projections showed Mando was tracking to open with $200 million, you'd be the first one here signing Disney's praise - you were already here tooting their horn for the success of Devil Wears Prada 2 and Hoppers and claiming Mando was the next big hit trying to defend it based on some influencers seeing the first 25 minutes (FWIW, box office projections not only take into account reactions to early screenings, critics' notes, overall distribution/number of screen, and random survey, but also pre-sale data). I poured a little ice water on that citing projections (the same ones used by studios and industry professionals to track and gauge theatrical performance) that show Mando tracking to be the lowest opening ever for a live action Star Wars film, and that simple fact can't seem to exist in the space in front of your Mickey-shaped rose-colored glasses.

I don't understand why trusting people who's job it is to project box office performance and their professional opinion that Mando is going to have to build off of what projects to be a pathetic opening for the IP is so offensive. Also, being less than optimistic about the film's performance doesn't lessen my hope that it can be successful through strong word of mouth, and outpace those usually reliable projections.

@Russell: I wrote "Waiting in the wings 'The Mandalorian & Grogu', 'Toy Story 5', 'Moana (LA)' and Disney/Marvel/Sony's 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' coming in July."

Where exactly in that post did I claim M&G was going to be the (ahem) "next big hit"?

I will wait here while you compose a weak rationalization for your post.