He's the senior executive behind The Dark Knight and the Harry Potter films, currently working on The Hobbit, but soon Warner Bros' Alan Horn will have a new job - as chair of Disney studios. He'll be replacing Rich Ross, whose exit last month has been associated with the expensive failure of John Carter at the box office.
The studio, which had been struggling after several recent productions failed to do as well as expected, is now back on the up-and-up after Avengers Assemble became one of the most successful films of all time. Shares are up a further 1% since the announcement of Horn's appointment.
"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 a statement. "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."
Iger, for his part, praised Horn for his professional skills, his glowing personal reputation and his impressive track record of identifying and supporting massively successful film projects.
