The former Walt Disney Co. chief executive undermined and then succeeded the man he had handpicked to lead the entertainment giant. Mr. Chapek told friends that Mr. Iger’s attitude seemed to be: “They work for me, not for you.”
www.wsj.com
A comprehensive look at the disastrous Chapek run including Scarlet Johanson's contract dispute, Don't Say Gay, and even some gossip that Josh was looking to QUIT in October as it became evident Chapek was out of his depths and blaming others for his faults.
More like a boss (Iger) who micromanaged and didn't work on developing his staff and the consequences of that. As much as everyone screams Iger, dude undermined those underneath him a lot....Tom Staggs, Kevin Mayers, and even clearly in this piece that is not kind to Chapek at all, Bob Chapek.
Chapek issue is he was didn't have three things to be Disney CEO: Charisma, Creativity, or Imagination. As much as I disagree with politics and 100% LGBTQIA+ rights, Chapek looking back before the backlash did the right thing by staying out of it. Everyone screams about performative allyship and unless Disney actively lobbied the state against the Don't Say Gay bill, it wouldn't change anything. The bill passed despite the press and helped a certain person's political career even more going against "woke" Disney.
When it came to creative decisionmaking, he chose an awful deputy to lead it. Kareem definitely sent some films that wouldn't have succeeded in theatres rightly to Disney+/Hulu such as Disenchanted, Rosaline, and even I would argue Luca, however one of the biggest issues Disney is facing actually is quality control which is why someone who worked Direct to Video should have never been CEO as none of Disney straight to DVD films with the exception of Lion King 1 1/2 was considered substantially good But the lack of quality control also leads itself to its previous history. DIsney had the same problems now back in the early 90s when people complain they were too "inappropriate"....Disney got around that by making content that was undeniably the best and quality so that those who complained had no room to talk except politics. Good content is good content even if you don't agree with the subject matter. Disney was making and putting out content that were universally recognized on the awards scene outside of best animated film. If you are going to make a film with a LGBT lead or a minority lead, you need to ensure you quality check because there are always things riding on it.
Chapek didn't understand that. While we are getting the most diverse lineup of characters, there is a huge level of heart and magic that is lacking and quality as well. The things that drove films like Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Lion King, Aladdin, and other late 80s/ early 90s film in the renaissance. At the core, Disney was selling no matter the journey you take in life may be hard, the journey will take you to where you need to go.
I will also argue that's probably even more a big issue in the parks and disaster created by Eisner every since he wanted to beat Universal and create his own version of Universal Studios. While IPs were always part of Disney parks, bringing in a park focused on IP and IP based rides when your other parks focused on original attractions for the most part, the gate was opened to where we are now. When your parks were created by making a sense of magic and wonder, all these IP based rides are not going to create that sense on wonder and amazement. The rides are great for what they are but when you look at the rides people really love...its the classics. Chapek's blue sky ideas for the parks were overly IP based, however, it something that Iger would probably continue and want to do. But just to show you...people really like the classics.
/PRNewswire/ -- A recent study from Upgraded Points (https://upgradedpoints.com/each-states-favorite-disney-world-ride-2021-survey/), was conducted in March...
www.prnewswire.com
What are the best rides in Walt Disney World? These are the top 10 according to our readers!
allears.net
Disney rides ranked: Do you agree with this new survey?
www.clickorlando.com
Even when it came to the newer rides...the non Disney IP rides based on survey results were more enjoyed than the Disney IP based rides.
Overall, Iger will have a hard path before him. I don't think he has the skill set to handle what will go on moving forward and we will definitely see how much his old team protected him.
Overall, Disney in the future